Class 78th Watches the Future
by Spirit Soldier
Summary: We know the story. Class 78th loses their memories, and were forced into the killing game. Only a few of them survive the game. And what happens when those sixteen students, their memories of each other intact, watch the Danganronpa series? What happens if they see their future selves killing each other? Watch, as Class 78th watches their future.
1. Prologue

**Hello readers and welcome to my new story. So, I watched an entire gameplay of Danganronpa. When I got started, I was so hooked on it that I finished the entire series in a week. It probably would have been less if I didn't have school. After watching the last class trial, I checked out a few fanfics and then the idea of Class 78th seeing the future came into my head.**

 **When the idea came into my head, I couldn't just not write it. Especially since there weren't already one out there. So, here we are. I hope there will be several of you who will enjoy this kind of story, and with that out of the way, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 00: Prologue

Class 78. Out of many of the classes in Hope's Peak Academy, they are one of the classes who're closest with each other. There were a few rough patches, but no one can doubt their bond towards one another, especially towards their lucky classmate.

Currently, the sixteen students are waiting in the classroom for their teacher, all of them discussing the news their principal gave them. "I wonder what kind of trip this will be." Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Luckster, said. He and the others are gathered in a circle to discuss what the possibility is. "Anyone got any ideas?"

"How about Hiro tells us?" Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Pop Sensation, suggested. She's sitting right beside Makoto. "Maybe he could make a prediction."

"Predictions that have a 20-30% chance of being right." Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, remarked. "I wouldn't count on them being correct."

"Hey!" Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, shouted in offense. "Just you wait! This prediction will be totally right!"

"Then let's hear it then." Aoi Asahina, the Ultimate Swimmer, spoke up. Right beside is Sakura Oogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist. "It'll pass the time at least."

Hiro nodded. "All right." He close his eyes, gaining a look of concentration. "I see….us spinning around in a colorful force. And when that spinning stop, we'll be in a big area." He then snapped his finger. "Maybe we'll be going in a dimensional area!"

Silence ruled the class at the ridiculous thought. "...Your idiocy never ceased to amaze people." Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler, remarked. "Such an idea is ridiculous, not to mention impossible."

"It's totally possible!" Hiro defended himself. "Just you wait, this'll happen!"

"Somehow, I doubt it man." Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Baseball Player, inserted. He's leaning in one of the classroom chairs. "Anybody else has a guess?" He turned to Kyoko. "How about you Kyoko? Is there anything your old man told you about it?"

Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective, shook her head. The detective is sitting beside Makoto as well. "No. Not even when I went to ask him."

Makoto, Togami, and Sayaka perked up at this. They know that the principal doesn't hide anything, especially not with her daughter, unless he wants it to be a surprise or it's something upsetting. "Now I'm really curious." Togami spoke once again. "What could it be that the principal didn't tell Kyoko?"

"I can answer that for you."

The sixteen students turned to the door, where the voice came from. Right at the classroom door is an african american man with dark brown eyes, black hair, and is wearing a business type suit.

Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista, stood up and pointed at him. "And who are you, lowly peasant?" She questioned with a king-like voice, a crown on top of her head.

Beside the eccentric girl is her sister Mukuro , the Ultimate Soldier, who's shaking her head at Junko's antics.

The man wasn't surprised by Junko's announcement. He merely smiled. "The lowly peasant is the one in charge of your trip. My name is Spirit."

Many eyes lit up in surprise. Several thought that ome of the staff may be leading the trip, but they guess they were wrong. Junko, meanwhile, drop the crown off her head and wiped her surprise look before gaining a sad one. "Does this mean I'm punished for insulting you?"

"I've been warned about your antics, so no." Spirit smirked at the disappointed look on her face. "Now, let's discuss the trip you've been told about."

"Where are we going, anyway?" Hina asked him. "And why are you leading the trip?"

"You would think that one of the staff would be leading it." Togami commented on as well. "Not someone outside of Hope's Peak."

The man merely smiled. "I'm not gonna answer the where part yet." He told them. "As for why, I suggested this trip to the principal, and he agreed. Since I know the location, he let me lead."

There was a few who seemed slightly suspicious, the others doesn't seem to think anything is going on. "S-So, what is t-this trip?" Toko Fukawa, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy, asked hesitantly.

"My fortune told me that we're going to another dimension!" Hiro declared to him. "Am I right?"

Byakuya sighed in annoyance. "Ignore the idiot, please."

"Actually," Spirit began. "For once, his prediction is correct." Before anyone could say anything to that, Spirit clapped his hand. And when he did, the classroom change into a multitude of colors, spinning around the place. Several students cried in shock as they spin around alongside the color, and when it stopped, they all landed on ground below them.

"Ouch….." Makoto groaned, getting up from his fallen state. When he got a look from his surrounding, his eyes widen.

They're not in their classroom anymore. Class 78 are now in a giant living room, with several couches and recliners spread around, a large table at the front of those chairs, and a flat screen TV. The room looks to be very expensive, along with the entire house.

Gasps of shock and surprise were heard when the rest of the class got up. Even Togami, Kyoko, and Celestia seemed to be rattled by what happened. "What the hell?!" Mondo Oowada, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, shouted. "Where the fuck are we?!"

"Was I right after all?!" Hiro shouted in panic, grabbing his head. Even though he predicted the outcome, he was shocked at this as well.

"This is where you'll be staying until the trip ends." Spirit told them. "Food and drinks will provided, as you all know, and the trip will last a few days at the least. A week at the most."

"What did you do?" Kyoko questioned, her own voice showing panic.

Spirit smiled. "I teleported." Was his answer. "To an isolated location. Whether it's somewhere on earth or another dimension is up to you decide."

Shocked ran through everyone's body. "But, that's impossible!" Togami cried out, losing his composure. "It shouldn't be possible to teleport, anywhere!"

"Yet here we are." Celestia countered, after managing to gain her composure. Togami doesn't have anything to say to that. "If I may, how did you do that? And do you have any other power?"

"I have my ways." Was his answer to the first question. "As for the other question, yes. While I'm in this area, there are several powers within my grasp."

By now, everyone could feel nothing but shock at what's being told and shown to them. Despite how she feels, Sakura spoke up. "And there's one more question in mind." Sakura stated strongly. "Why did you bring us here?"

"Oh yeah." Makoto then remembered the reason for this trip. "We've been told that this trip is important for our future. Why?"

Spirit hummed to himself. "While I doubt this will be the last question, I'll answer anyway." Spirit said. "This trip isn't just important for your future. You guys are gonna actually SEE your future, in detail."

…

Silence ruled the area. Nobody could say anything, to shock at the entire thing. Several brains were fried at the information given to them. "...This is too much." Hifumi Yamada, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, stated. He held his brain in pain. "Too much information. Too many things happening."

Spirit chuckled. "I'll give you time to process all of this. I know this is probably overwhelming, and I apologize for giving you all this info."

They all indeed went to processing all the info, including one Makoto Naegi. Everything that had been told to him and what he had seen, is unbelievable. Teleportation? A look into the future? That all seems impossible, something from a sci-fi movie. But yet….

….Here they are. From a classroom, to a living room, they teleported. They couldn't even claim that they got knocked out, since it didn't feel like they woke up.

"...I assume showing the future is one of your powers?" Kyoko questioned. The others turned to the Ultimate Detective in shock.

"Are you just accepting this?!" Byakuya exclaimed.

Kyoko turned to the prodigy. "We just witnessed ourselves coming from the classroom to this room in mere seconds. Right now, I'm willing to believe anything."

"A-Are you a ghost?!" Hiro suddenly questioned, getting scared. "T-That explains everything! And why your name is Spirit?! A g-g-ghost!"

Spirit sighed and facepalmed, along with a few others, after getting out of their shock. "No, that's just a nickname Yasuhiro." Spirit explained patiently. "I'm not an actual spirit nor a ghost. As for your question, Kyoko…." He turned to the young detective. "No. Showing the future is not one of my powers. I merely gathered this information, which was available to everyone in my home."

"Seriously?" Ishimaru Kiyotaka, the Ultimate Moral Compass, spoke up. "Our future could be shown to people from your own home." Spirit nodded.

"I could explain, but we're wasting enough time as it is." Spirit sighed. "Look, the point of this trip is so you guys could see what the future holds for all of you. Trust me, this will benefit several of you, if not, all of you. It will benefit you A LOT, and the principal agreed wholeheartedly. So, I suggest to just accept the situation as it is, sit down, and watch."

Many of them, after their brain wrapped around the situation, thought about what he said. If his words were true, then they can see what's in store for them. Some don't really want to see, wanting it to be a surprise or so it won't mess up their path, but the fact Spirit is saying that it's in their best interest to watch their future peaked their interest even more.

"I don't see the harm in watching." Makoto admitted, getting attention from everyone else. "I doubt this is a prank. This guy seems like a more serious person rather than a prankster. Besides, if the principal agreed to this, then we should put our faith in him and do this."

Everyone thought about Makoto's words. "Makoto is right." Kyoko agreed. "This must be important if the principal wanted us to watch this. It's best for us to sit and see for ourselves."

"Something must've happened if the future." Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Programmer, spoke quietly. "Maybe if we do watch this, we could stop whatever from happening."

Byakuya, after managing to calm himself, sighed and nodded in agreement. "It would be interesting to see myself in the future. Of course, I know what my future holds for me, but it would still be interesting." A few people rolled their eyes at that.

"This must be to change our destiny for the better." Hiro murmured to himself, though the others could hear him. "Our guardian angels must have sent this, to protect us!"

Hina crossed her arms and sighed. "I don't think it's that Hiro." The swimmer disagreed. But then she perked up. "But it would be nice to see what we would be doing in the future."

"All right! Let's use this chance to bond even further than before!" Taka announced strongly, sitting on one of the couches.

Mondo nodded. "If my bro agrees, then I'll join too." Mondo then sat beside Taka and soon enough, Chihiro join them.

Eventually, everyone got into a seat. Byakuya, Celeste, Junko, Mukuro, and Toko got recliners for themselves, with Toko taking the recliner closest to the Togami heir. Kyoko, Sayaka, Makoto, and Leon sat on another couch together. Sakura and Hina sat on a small couch together. And finally, Yasuhiro and Hifumi took the last couch. Luckily, it was big and sturdy enough for Hifumi's big frame.

"Everyone ready?" Spirit questioned, sitting on his own recliner. Everyone nodded. "Good. Now, let us begin." With that, he summoned a remote into his hand and turned on the TV.

 **And that's the end. I hope several of you enjoyed the prologue. This chapter will be testing the waters. See how many are going to read. I hope there will be many of you that will want to read. Though if the numbers are small, I still might continue writing. After all, this is a story I couldn't not write. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	2. Watching Prologue: Welcome to Despair P1

**Hello readers, and welcome to my new chapter. Since this will be a watching the future type of story, and not a reading, I'm not gonna take every dialogue from the game. I'll be tweaking in some sort of way to make it sound like an anime.**

 **And yes, I know there's an anime for Danganronpa, before any of you mention it. But that anime is far too rushed, even without watching the game, so I didn't even pass the first episode after seeing how fast the pace was. If anything, I'll most likely use it as a draft for this fic, if I ever need to.**

 **Also, I'm glad many of you have looked forward to this fic and thanks to the people who gave me some advice for the story, whether it's by PM or review. It will help a lot as I continue the story. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 01: Watching the Prologue: Welcome to Despair Pt 1

 _"Everyone ready?" Spirit questioned, sitting on his own recliner. Everyone nodded. "Good. Now, let us begin." With that, he summoned a remote into his hand and turned on the TV._

 **When the screen turned on, a light shined on a black and white teddy is sitting in a classroom. One side of its body is purely white while the other side is black with red lightning looking eyes and a creepy grin. A button is right in front of it.**

"Um, what's with the bear?" Leon asked, pointing at the bear. "It looks creepy."

"Maybe if we keep watching, we'll find out." Byakuya shot back in annoyance. Leon shot his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay, yeesh. I just asked a question."

 **In front of the bear is a man in his late thirties. He's wearing a long sleeve button-up shirt and dress pants. Currently, his are tied behind the chair he's trapped in and his eyes are blindfolded. The bear moved his head to see the man struggling in his binds.**

A few eyes widened in recognition. "Is that the principal?" Makoto asked, causing several more eyes to widen.

"It is." Chihiro confirmed. "But who tied him up? And why?"

When they saw the bear move its head, shock entered through them. "Did that toy just move?" Hifumi asked hesitantly. "Or is it just me?"

"It's not just you dude." Mondo stated in shock.

"I'm guessing that bear, or the one controlling it, was the one to tie up Headmaster Kirigiri." Celestia guessed. "It must be remote controlled."

"Most likely." Makoto agreed, along with some of the others.

Meanwhile, Kyoko had her eyes glued to the screen, a feeling of dread leaking into her heart.

 **Moving its head back, the bear reached out and smashed the red button in front of it. As soon as it did, a rocket appeared right behind the tied-up man.**

 **The hostage screamed as he got dragged into the rocket before it closed up. A second later, the rocket bursted through the roofs and into the night sky.**

"What the hell is going on here?" Mondo exclaimed. "Where the fuck did the rocket come from? And why was the headmaster got launched into it?"

"I don't know bro." Taka stated, biting his lips nervously. "None of this makes any sense right now."

The dread in Kyoko's heart began to get bigger.

 **As soon as it got high up into space, it began its descent back to the school. It spiralled downward, heat forming around the tip, before it crashed back to the classroom.**

The viewers awaited with baited breath, all of them nervous at what they might see.

 **The bear waited for the hatch to open up. Slowly, the hatch of the rocket revealed an empty seat. But a moment later, several bones belonging to a skeleton fell down.**

Several cries of horror went through the room. Several faces went pale. And several look close to vomiting.

"This has to be a fake!" Hiro exclaimed, holding his head. "This has to be! No way would somebody kill the principal!"

"You saw the video, did you not?" Celestia rhetorically, managing to keep her composure. But really, she's as horrified as everyone else and her face wasn't so pale already, it would've been shown. "That looks far too real to be fake."

"But why would somebody kill the principal?" Makoto questioned, his face pale. "And in such a bizarre way?"

"...So that's why he was so pale." Makoto perked up, turning his head to see Kyoko visibly distress. "That's why he said those things….he saw…."

"Kyoko." Makoto called out, getting her back into reality. "Are you alright? Do you need a minute?"

Kyoko shook her head, trying to get her emotions back in check. "No, no. I'm fine. It's not like I'm close to my father anyway."

Makoto could see that she was lying. While she got a good poker face most of the time, almost as good as Celeste, there are times where her emotions would leak through. Most of those times are because of the subject of her father. Like now.

But he let it go for the moment since he could confront her about it later.

Meanwhile, Junko had to keep herself from drooling at all the despair she's seeing. Seeing her classmates' horrified and distressed looks, as well as feeling her own distress and horror, feels so good for her.

What's better is that she suspects that the person who killed the principal is herself. After all, Monokuma is to be her mascot when her plans goes in motion. Oh, she can't wait to see more!

 **When the bear saw the bones, it began to chuckle in seemingly evil laughter before the screen faded black.**

Kyoko's distress and horror turned into anger at seeing the bear laugh at her father's death. The urge to rip the bear apart came as well.

'Wait, why am I so mad?' Kyoko asked herself. 'Why do I feel so distressed? It's not the first time I saw bodies. And it's not like I care for my father.' Maybe she should ask Makoto later when she get the chance.

"That bear is just sick!" Hina exclaimed, covering her mouth. "Laughing at the sight of a corpse? Who would do that?"

"A s-sadistic k-killer, that's w-who." Toko stated, visibly distressed. Ah, the irony there.

Sakura crossed her arms. "Something tells me that the toy will be a major problem in the future."

"Considering it got introduced in the beginning, that doesn't sound farfetched." The Togami heir agreed.

 **The scene then changed to a large school building. "Hope's Peak Academy." A voice spoke. "The school that brings the best students from every field imaginable."**

"Hey, the voice sounds familiar." Hifumi spoke up, recognizing the voice. "Is that Mr. Naegi's?"

The others noticed as well. It also had the effect of all of them temporarily forgetting about what had happened. "It sounds a lot like you." Sayaka agreed, talking to Makoto.

"So I'm the main character on here?" Makoto questioned in shock. How is he, out of all the Ultimates, the main character?

The others, however, aren't so shock. They all agreed that Makoto is more likely to be the main character, the person that keeps the group together. Even Byakuya admits to that, although in a more arrogant mindset.

 **"I heard that if you come here and manage to graduate, you be set for life. It was built to raise hope in the nation's future, which makes Hope's Peak a perfectly fitting name."**

 **The image got closer to the front of the school. "There are two things you need attend this school. One, you need to be a highschool student already, and two, you need to be the best at what you do. No ordinary student can come here. In order to be enrolled, you have to be sought out."**

 **As the dialogue went on, the screen showed several of the Ultimates. Sayaka and her fellow idols singing on the stage, Leon playing baseball, several magazines of Junko, and Mondo in his motorcycle, with his massive biker gang driving behind him.**

Many of them beamed proudly at this or smirked smugly, knowing their skills. Even Toko showed a certain amount of pride for her abilities.

The only one who didn't feel that pride is Makoto, who looked at his shoes. Being the Ultimate Lucky Student isn't really something to be proud about.

 **The scene soon switched to an awe Makoto Naegi, who's in front of the school. "My name is Makoto Naegi. Unlike many of the Ultimates here, I'm pretty much your average joe. Don't really have special talents or even a unique personality compared to the rest."**

 **"So how does someone like me got into a school like this?" As Makoto's voice paused, the Makoto on the screen looked at the invitation given to him. "Well, in my invitation, they spelled it plain as day. I only got in because of luck. They did a poll for one regular student to enroll in the school, and I was it, making me the Ultimate Lucky Student."**

"Wait, I remember that day." Makoto realized, looking at the scene more clearly. "This was the first time I got to Hope's Peak."

That surprised everyone. "But I thought this was in the future." Hina said in confusion. "Why are we watching Makoto's first day?"

"Perhaps we should we ask our host." Byakuya stated. He turned to Spirit. "Why are we seeing Makoto's first day at Hope's Peak?"

"Cause it's an important part of the entire." Spirit said with a shrug. "Rest assured, this will be the only part of the past you'll see. The rest will be in the future. That's all I'm saying for right now."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes, but returned his attention to the show.

 **"Honestly, it would've been better if I just refused the invitation." The narrator continued. "But if you get enrolled here and graduate, you would be set for life, so I couldn't just say no to the offer."**

Sayaka smiled towards him. "Well, I'm glad you didn't refuse the offer." Sayaka said genuinely. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have the chance to be as close as we are now. And I doubt Class 78th would be as friendly to each other."

Makoto blushed at this, but waved it off. "I'm sure you're exaggerating."

"No, she's right man." Leon agreed. "You always manage to spend time with all of us, and talk to us normally. You can't say much about most people, whether at Hope's Peak or out of the school."

"And you're a good mediator for all of us." Kyoko continued. "You always made sure we don't fight with another, and helped us with whatever we've needed."

"I wouldn't go as far as to say things would've been completely different for me, but things would've been less interesting without you." Some in the group rolled their eyes at Byakuya's words. That's Togami talk for 'He's glad Makoto is here'.

Hina smiled brightly at him. "Like it or not, you definitely earned a place in all our hearts. For being so kind, optimistic, and helpful."

Makoto couldn't help but be beet red at the compliments being washed over him. Nevertheless, he grew a bright and hopeful smile on his face.

Meanwhile, Junko looked away from the scene. The sight of such a bright and hopeful scene disgust her. She absolutely hates how optimistic Makoto is and how that hope is affecting the others. She can't wait for the day she can bring that hope down and turn it into despair.

 **"Alright Makoto." The visible Makoto said to himself. "You can do this." Giving himself a firm nod, he walked into the entrance of the school, and then into the main hall.**

 **He looked around to see the main hall empty. "This is where we suppose to meet, right? Guess I'm the first one to arrive." He looked at the clock in the main hall to see it's 7:10 a.m.**

"I'm still envious that you're the first to arrive!" Taka cried out. Several in the group laughed while Makoto scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"And I'm still embarrassed that I arrived so early." Was the lucky boy's response. He shrugged. "At least I used the time to look around a bit."

 ** _'Fifty more minutes until it's eight o'clock. It makes sense for no one else to be.'_ Makoto thought to himself. He sighed. _'And I got myself so wound up about getting here. Maybe looking around the place will help calm my nerves. It'll at least pass the time.'_**

 **So with that, Makoto took his first step into the high school. But as soon as he did, his vision suddenly began to warp.**

 **"What the-?!" Makoto gasped. Everything soon to twist, turn, and melt around him. And sooner than it did, had everything went black for him.**

"Huh?" Several people gasped. Mondo spoke up for all of them. "What the fuck just happened?"

"I don't know." Makoto answered, looking down in confusion. "That didn't happen to me when I first got there. Like I said, I looked around for a bit before coming back to the main hall."

"Maybe you were having a dream?" Chihiro guessed.

 **"I should've known by then that I didn't come here because I had the ultimate good luck." The narrator spoke again. "I was here to witness, the ultimate despair."**

"Okay, that sounds really creepy." Hina stated, a creeped out look on her face.

"But it does sound pretty interesting!" Junko chirped. Well, it's actually pleasing for her to hear about the ultimate despair, but she doesn't have to let the others know that. "And it implies that what happened wasn't Makoto falling asleep!"

Everyone turned to her at that. "Are you saying that this statement implies that he's fallen unconscious?" Mukuro asked her sister.

"Bingo!" Junko stated. The others looked shocked at this.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Makoto cried out. "I don't remember that happening!" Sayaka and Kyoko both grabbed his hand, silently asking him to calm down. The slightly distressed boy looked at the two girls before doing their silent request.

"I think more of our questions will be answered if we continue watching." Sakura stated. "Or at least, we'll find the answers ourselves."

Silently agreeing with her statement, everyone continued watching, hoping to get more answers than questions.

 **And that's the end. I hope the chapter met your expectations, or at least close to it. Sorry if it's not as long as you guys would've preferred, but I felt this would be a good stopping point. I debated whether or not to do the opening, but I think it would be better to save for later, for after the prologue ends. Hopefully, I'll have the next one longer. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	3. Watching Prologue: Welcome to Despair P2

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here's another quick update. I don't know how long these quick updates will last, but for now, enjoy them. I'm very glad all of you are enjoying this fic so far, and I hope that enjoyment will continue.**

 **By the way, do you want only Sayaka to have feelings for Makoto and vice versa, or several girls having feeling for the luckster? I know that Mukuro got a crush on him, so I'll keep that canon, and with either choice, Sayaka will still have feelings for the boy. I just want you readers' opinions, so I know where to go when it comes to pairings. So, with that, I hope you enjoy.**

 **P.S. Personally, I could see Makoto having several girls crushing on him happening, considering he's a super nice guy that's willing to help everyone out, not to mention being able to make friends out of the most anti-social people, such as Byakuya. Plus, something like that could be consider both good AND bad luck. And Makoto got a big batch of both.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Dangan Ronpa.**

Chapter 02: Watching the Prologue: Welcome to Despair Pt 2

 **(Prologue - Welcome to Despair)**

Makoto felt a sense of dread at the title, as well as the picture being shown. Something tells him that he isn't going to like what he'll see.

"So, will the rest be about the future?" Kyoko asked Spirit. The host of the gathering merely nodded. "Ok then."

"Maybe we can find out if what transpired was a dream for Makoto." Celestia commented.

"Or maybe someone abducted him and is trying to mess with his memories!" Hiro declared. "Digging through his brain to change them!"

Several face palmed while Makoto shuddered at the mental image. Only Hiro.

 **The scene switched to a classroom, with the only one there being a sleeping Makoto. Slowly, the boy woke up with a grin. "Wha….?" The boy said tiredly. "Where am I?"**

"Um, are you still sleepy Makoto?" Hina asked him, tilting her head. "Cause I'm pretty sure you're in one of the classrooms."

"Why are you sleeping there anyway?" Taka questioned passionately. "It's against the rules to be sleeping in class!"

"And why isn't anyone else there, other than Makoto?" Kyoko questioned with narrowed eyes. "Surely one of us would have woken him up if he was sleeping in class. Kiyotaka for sure wouldn't have let that slide."

"That's right I wouldn't!" Was Taka's passionate agreement.

"Well, we won't get anymore answers by asking questions." Makoto said. "For now, let's keep all of our questions in our mind." Several others nodded in agreement to this.

 **Makoto looked around to see that he's in an unfamiliar classroom. "What is going on here?" Makoto asked himself. "This isn't a classroom I've been in before." Then he noticed the metal plates on the windows. "Metal plates?"**

Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the classroom. "Wait a minute," Kyoko slowly realized. "Isn't this one of the classrooms from the old school building?"

Several eyes widened at this, and they began to notice the similarities as well. "Yeah, you're right Kyoko." Makoto agreed. "The only change there is the wallpaper. But why would I would be in the old school building instead of the new one if this from the future?"

"And what's with the metal plates on the window?" Taka asked nervously. No one had an answer to that.

Kyoko sighed. This is becoming more and more confusing with every second.

 **Makoto went up and tried to pull off the plates, but it wouldn't budge a bit. "No use." Makoto sighed. "It's bolted shut."**

 ** _'Why are there metal plates on the windows anyway?'_ Makoto thought. 'It makes no sense.'**

 **As he looked around the room, he saw a note on the desk he slept on. Going to the desk, he grabbed the note before noticing a line of drool on the desk.**

Several laughed or chuckled at this while Makoto flushed in embarrassment. "Don't worry Makoto." Sayaka said, after her giggling subsided. "I think you drooling is cute."

That made the boy flushed even more, causing more giggles from Sayaka. Kyoko and Mukuro also had smiles of amusement, silently agreeing with the Ultimate Pop Sensation.

 **"I should clean that up before I go." Makoto sighed. He then put the letter in front of his face and began to read. What he read creeped him out a bit.**

 ** _'The Next Semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world.'_ That's what exactly is on the note, written in crayon and a picture at the top of the cheap pamphlet.**

"What the heck is this?" Makoto questioned in confusion and slight panic. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"

"That's what we're wondering." Hina stated, feeling creeped out once more. "Cause it ain't funny."

"Far from it." Sakura agreed stoically.

 **Putting the note down, Makoto held his head in confusion. _'The note, and those bolted doors, makes it feel like some kind of prison.'_ Makoto said. _'None of this is making any sense.'_**

 **The boy sighed, and looked at the clock. "I should probably get back to the meeting hall. It's already on the meeting time, so most likely, others will be there too."**

"Um, why are you talking like you never been in Hope's Peak before?" Yasuhiro questioned in confusion. "I don't get a lot of this, but I know this takes place in the future. So why are you acting like it's still your first day?"

"How should I know?" Makoto questioned back. "This is the future me. I can't know exactly what my other is thinking each time." But inwardly, he's got a sinking suspicion as to why his other is acting like this. He hopes his suspicion is wrong.

Others like Kyoko, Mukuro, and Byakuya have their suspicions as well. But for now, they didn't say anything. They'll wait till they see their other future selves.

 **The boy walked out of the classroom, and into the hallway. The hallway has a purple lighting, the area seemingly more….dark. "This hallways seems kind of weird too." Makoto murmured.**

"So the lighting has changed as well." Chihiro commented. "But who changed it? And why?"

"Maybe to put in a more creepy vibe?" Leon suggested.

"If they are, then they're doing it pretty well." Hina shivered.

 ** _'This is getting stranger by the second.'_ Makoto thought to himself. _'Waking up in a classroom with no other students around... This is not making any sense.'_ He then spoke to himself. "Well, for now, I'll go back to the entrance hall. I might get some answers there."**

 **With that, he went searching for the main hall. It didn't take him long to find it and he soon found the door to the main hall. When he opened the door, he was met with several other students in the hall.**

"Hey, there's the rest of us!" Hiro pointed out cheerfully.

"W-We can s-see that, i-idiot." Toko stuttered out. "Y-You, don't need t-to yell it o-out."

"Cool. Maybe we can get Makoto out of his sleepy state." Hina stated cheerfully.

 _'Don't count on it.'_ Makoto, Byakuya, Mukuro, and Kyoko thought. They have a feeling that the future Makoto isn't acting like this because he just woke up.

 **One of the students spoke up. "Woah! Another new kid?"**

 **"Another? Then you guys are….?"**

 **"Yes….We're all new here. Today's was supposed to be our first day of class." A softer, more feminine voice answered Makoto's silent question.**

 **A nasally voice spoke up. "So counting him, that's make fifteen. Seems like a good cut off point, but I wonder if this is everyone…."**

If the group wasn't confused before, they definitely are now. "Um, how come all of us are acting like we're new here?" Hiro asked, confused. "Cause this is definitely not our first day."

"And what's with the sealed door and bigass guns in the main hall?" Mondo questioned. "Those were never there."

"Plus, we all look older." Sayaka commented. "Around nineteen at least. We all got here when we were seventeen, or, in Hiro's case, twenty-one."

"What the hell is going on?" Leon asked, holding his head in confusion.

Makoto didn't want to believe it. Didn't even want to think about the possibility. But it's the only logical conclusion. And like Kyoko says, there's only one absolute truth. So taking a gulp, he spoke up. "I think….our future selves lost our memories."

Several eyes turned to him at the revelation, all of them shocked by his words. "Um, you're joking, right Makoto?" Hina spoke up, after a moment of silence. "Cause there's no reason all of us lost our memories!"

"Yeah! The whole fucking class losing our memories of each other?" Mondo stated in disbelief. "There's no fucking way that could happen!"

"And yet, this is the only logical conclusion." Byakuya stated, getting the attention turned to him now. "It couldn't be anything else."

"They're right." Kyoko supported Makoto and Byakuya. "It would explain why we're acting like it's our first day, why Makoto didn't recognize the changes in the old school building, and why we look older. Nothing else could explain all three things at once."

Several of them wanted to deny it, to find any kind of counter-argument against. But Kyoko's logic is sound. "But….all of us losing our memories?" Taka questioned, distressed. "Of the time spent with each other? How could all of us lose those memories?"

"Yeah. I couldn't imagine not remembering Sakura or Makoto." Hina stated, also a bit distressed.

"No answer has been given to us yet." Sakura stated, crossing her arms. "For now, we have to continue. I know this is something difficult to accept, but there's no other explanation."

No one could argue with that, so they stayed silent for now and continued watching the screen.

 **Makoto looked at the entire group with awe and nervousness. _'Here they are. All of the Ultimates that were hand picked by the school.'_ As he took in each of their faces, he noticed something. _'I don't know if it's just me, but I feel a kind of aura coming from each of them.'_**

Sayaka giggled. "That's just your ability to read people well." Sayaka said to Makoto. "You've always had that."

"And it had continued to develop throughout the school year." Kyoko added in, smiling at him. Makoto flushed at the comments.

"I just got to know you guys well, so it can be easy to know what you guys are thinking." Makoto said modestly. The longer he became friends with someone, the easier he could read them. What they're feeling, when they need help, if they need space, etc.

 **"Um….how's it going? My name is Makoto Naegi." Makoto stated nervously.**

Aoi laughed. "Just like your last introduction, so cute and innocent." Makoto flushed while most of the others girls laughed, chuckled, or giggled in agreement. The only ones who aren't making any laughter are Kyoko, Sakura, Mukuro, and Toko, though the first three held smiles of amusement.

"M-Master is c-cuter." Toko mumbled, referring to Byakuya.

 **"Sorry about being late. A bunch of stuff just happened, and then all of sudden I was just….asleep."**

 **Some of the them looked surprised at this. "Whoa, you too?" A guy with the crazy hair asked in surprise, his reaction causing Makoto to recoil in shock.**

The reaction also stumped the entire class. "Wait, what does he mean 'you too'?" Taka questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. "You mean he experienced the same thing that Makoto did?"

"Judging by the other surprised looks, it follows that our future selves have all experienced this as well." Mukuro stated.

Kyoko narrowed. "I see," She said to herself. "So that must be the stopping point."

That got the attention of the others. "Stopping point?" Makoto repeated. "Kyoko….are you saying that the memories we created after entering Hope's Peak are the ones that's been taken from us?" Kyoko nodded.

"Spirit said that the beginning was an important part for this story." Kyoko explained. "Judging by what we've seen, we can conclude that the reason is because our memories stopped after arriving at Hope's Peak for the first time." Several eyes widened and several faces paled.

"We lost over a year of memories?" Hina breathed, covering her mouth. "How is that possible?"

"This is far from a coincidence that all of our memories been taken." Byakuya stated, pushing his glasses up. "Someone must've somehow captured all of us, and took our memories away from us."

The thought shocked and scared Hina even more. "But who would do that? And why?"

"None of us know yet." Sakura said to her best friend. "The only way to find out is to keep watching and see if the one who's doing this reveals themselves."

Junko is nearly bursting with ecstasy. Seeing her plan coming to fruition, seeing the distress on her classmates' faces, is making her feel soooo good. Imagine the despair when they find out the other part of this! The beginning….of the killing game!

She can't wait, she can't wait, she can't wait!

 **"This is getting curiouser and curiouser…." A goth looking girl mused.**

 **"This is strange…..beyond any doubt, I declare that this is a strange situation indeed!" An overweight boy with glasses declared, looking nervous.**

Leon rolled his eyes. "Way to state the obvious, genius."

"That was the future me!"

 **Makoto looked at everyone in confusion. "What are you guys talking about?" Makoto asked. "I don't have any idea what's going on right now."**

 **Before anyone could answer, a blue-haired boy with red eyes spoke up. "Just a moment! There's something I need to address!" The guy pointed his finger at Makoto. "Makoto, your tardiness is unacceptable! I'm sure you were told to come at the meeting at 8 a.m. sharp!"**

 **"To be late for your first day is unspeakable! I must report you, and you must accept your due punishment!" The guy declared. This just made Makoto even more confused.**

Some of the group got disbelieving looks, directed towards Taka. "You wake up in a school with metal plates on the windows and the front of the school sealed up, and that's what you're worried about?" Leon questioned incredulously.

Mondo put his hand on his head. "I hate to say it bro, but you need to sort out your priorities."

Taka flushed and chuckled sheepishly, despite the fact that it was his future self who's doing this. "Sorry Makoto." Taka apologized, turning towards the luckster. Said luckster just waved off the apology, not seeing it as a big deal.

 **Before Makoto could say anything to that, a pretty blonde spoke to Taka. "What's your problem? It's not like he wanted to be late. He had no control over it."**

Makoto narrowed his eyes. Something seems different about Junko. And not just in appearance either.

But when he looked at Junko, he noticed something. "Wait a minute….where's Mukuro?" Makoto questioned. That got the others attention, and they realized that they didn't see Mukuro either.

"Maybe she still asleep?" Hifumi suggested.

Chihiro thought about the possibility. "Maybe, but why isn't Junko looking for her sister? I would've thought that she would look around the school."

"Maybe I tried, but I ended up in the hallway first." Junko suggested. But truthfully, she knows that the 'Junko' on the TV is actually Mukuro. Her attitude and slight differences in appearance gives it away.

Mukuro also knew this. Not only because she knows what her body looks like, but because of how Junko reacted. Her sister wouldn't jump to defend Makoto first, but Mukuro knows that she herself would do so.

"Well, we won't what happens until we keep watching!" Junko stated. "So let's find out what happens to my hopeless sister!"

The group nodded, and went back to watching once again.

 **"Everyone calm down!" An upbeat looking brunette girl stated. "Listen, how about we all introduce ourselves to each other?"**

 **A big guy with a leather jacket and long brown hair spoke. "The hell?! This isn't the time for freakin introductions!"**

 **"Maybe, but it may be best to find out who we all are before going to the bigger problem." The goth looking girl retorted in a polite tone. "Otherwise, how can we talk to each other if we don't even know each other's name?"**

"Celeste raises a good point there." Kyoko agreed. "Now's a better time than any to get rid of introductions."

"She's got a good point." A petite looking girl with light brown hair agreed.

 **"Okay, so let's get the introductions out of the way, then we can move on to whatever else. Sounds good?" A blue haired girl summarized.**

 **Makoto looked around, still confused. _'I still don't know what's going on.'_ Makoto thought. _'But I guess focusing on getting to know them will be good. Now's a better time than any other.'_**

 **'I looked up nearly all of my classmates here online, but I still don't know what kind of people they are.' Makoto thought to himself. 'This will be a good chance to find out.'**

Celeste's eyes lit up in realization. "Oh, I just realized something." Celeste spoke up to all of them, causing eyes to turn to her.

"What did you realize?" Taka asked her.

"Since this will show Makoto's thoughts, we can see what he thinks of each of us when we first introduced ourselves." Celeste stated. That caused several more eyes to lit up in realization, and directing the attention to Makoto. The luckster gulped in response.

"This is gonna be interesting." Junko giggled. There are several grins and nods in agreement while Makoto groaned.

His luck really is the worst.

 **And that's the end. I hope all of you liked this chapter. Remember to give your thoughts on this chapter, as well as to my question up top. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	4. Watching Prologue: Welcome to Despair P3

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I received a lot of support for a harem to happen, with some mentioning specific girls. So Mukuro, Sayaka, Kyoko, Aoi, Celeste, and, eventually, Junko, will be having a crush on the luckster. The last one won't be having one of him yet, but will in the future. I got a few ideas for those two before that happens.**

 **The rest of the girls, Sakura and Toko, won't have a crush on the luckster, since there isn't anything that says that they might like him. And since one of you suggested Chihiro, please remember that he's actually a boy. Not a girl.**

 **So, this chapter will be longer than the previous ones. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 03: Watching the Prologue: Welcome to Despair Part 3

 **The first person he went to was Kiyotaka Ishimaru. "I'm Kiyotaka Ishimaru, and I believe in bold simplicity! Let's work together on our educational crusade!" Kiyotaka introduced himself.**

"Dude, your future self does realize that the situation they're in isn't a regular thing for school, right?" Leon asked. Taka chuckled sheepishly.

 _ **'So that's Ishimaru.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'From what I heard about him on the forums, he went to a famous private school and won top honors every year. He's basically a flawless honor student and he's also known for the work he's done for the community's Public Moral Committee.'**_

"So, you looked up all of us Makoto?" Sayaka asked.

Makoto nodded. "Everyone except Kyoko, which I couldn't find any info on." Makoto stated. "I wanted to know more about my future classmates."

 ** _'They say he respects rules above all else, earning him the title of the Ultimate Moral Compass.'_ Makoto concluded his thoughts.**

Taka nodded. "I see you got your information from an accurate source."

"Several, actually." Makoto corrected. That surprised the others a bit. "Like I said, I wanted to know more about my future classmates, and I know that some sources won't be as accurate."

Hina cooed at that. "Aww, that's sweet of you Makoto." Makoto blushed and smiled bashfully at this while Mukuro, Sayaka, and Kyoko nodded in agreement.

 **"Anyways, you can call me Taka." Kiyotaka continued. "You said your name is Makoto Naegi, right?" He questioned. Makoto nodded. Taka then put on a big smile. "That's a good name, a strong name! You should thank your parents for giving you such an excellent name!"**

"If it's such a strong name, why is he such a herbivore man?" Junko remarked cheerfully.

Makoto sighed. "Must you keep calling me that Junko?"

"Yes. Cause that's what you are, herbivore man."

Makoto sighed again, but didn't say anything else.

 **Taka seemed to get fired up again. "And to keep that name from losing value, you must devote yourself every single day! Life is worth putting every ounce of effort into it, right? Right!"**

 **Makoto couldn't help but think this: _'This guy is….kinda annoying.'_**

"Huh?!" Taka exclaimed, his passionate demeanor gone in a flash. Makoto winced while a few laughed or chuckled. "I was being….annoying?"

Makoto gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry Taka. I wasn't used to how enthusiastic you usually are. I'm used it now."

"Something tells me you're going to say sorry to several people." Celestia commented. Makoto gulped at this.

 **After talking to Taka, Makoto went to the next person. Toko Fukawa. "N-Not that you'll remember my n-name, but I-I'm Toko….Toko Fukawa."**

 _ **'Toko Fukawa. The Ultimate Writing Prodigy.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'Yeah, she wrote a novel when she was ten that got everyone talking and launched her literary career. Then two years later, she released "So Lingers the Ocean", a love story said to be her masterpiece.**_

 _ **'The book was such a hit with women that fisherman quickly shot up to the top of every "Hottest Men" poll.'**_ **Makoto continued his thoughts.** _ **'Despite her age, she's won countless literary prizes and all her books are instant best sellers.'**_

"Her books really are amazing." Sayaka gushed. "I tried 'So Lingers the Ocean' and I instantly loved it."

Toko couldn't help but get a small beam of pride. But that smile fell when Leon spoke up. "Makes me wonder how someone so gloomy and depressing could make popular love stories? Not to mention a big mean streak on her."

She sent a nervous glare at Leon. "I-If you want m-mean, I'll show y-you mean you r-rockstar wannabe."

Leon sighed. "See what I tell you? A big mean streak."

 _ **'Which is why she's come to be known as the Ultimate Writing Prodigy. What else could you call such a young and talented author?'**_

Toko smiled a little. Despite it not being a compliment from her master, it felt….nice to be complimented on her abilities by one of her friends.

Yes, she considers Makoto and at least some of her classmates friends. She just doesn't want to admit it, like Byakuya.

 _ **'But I figured she would be the lovey-dovey type, with her masterpiece being a romance novel and all….'**_

"She probably is, but it's buried beneath all that gloominess and nastiness." Hiro sighed, the words causing Toko's smile to fade into a glare.

"Sh-Shut up, i-diotic f-fortune teller!"

"Hey! Don't be so hostile!" Hiro cried out.

 **The two were silent for a moment, merely observing each other. Finally, Toko spoke. "Wh-What? It's not polite to stare, you know." Toko stated nervously. Then suddenly, she started getting defensive. "Stop staring at me like I'm some filthy creature!"**

 **That startled Makoto a bit. "F-Filthy creature? No, I just thought-"**

 **"I know what you just thought….!" Toko interrupted. "You just thought you've never seen such an ugly woman. You just thought it was sooo funny….!"**

 **"N-No, that's not what I was thinking at all…." Makoto protested.**

 **But Toko refused to listen. "Don't bother trying to l-lie to me!" She exclaimed. "I know it's true. Otherwise, you….I just know you can't stand looking at me!" Her attitude then turned gloomy. "Wh-Whatever, I don't really care. I'm used it…."**

"What the hell kind of mess up childhood did you have that made you like that?" Mondo questioned.

Toko didn't answer that, preferring not to answer. Makoto and Byakuya, meanwhile, shivered. They were one of the few that knows about Toko's past, the latter unwillingly. To say it was disturbing would be an understatement.

 ** _'Wow, talk about an inferiority complex.'_ Makoto thought _. 'I was waaay off about what a successful author would be like….'_**

Toko couldn't argue with the inferiority complex comment. She admits that, she does have something like that. It's the main reason to why she's so attracted to master, who has a big superiority complex.

 **Hoping for a more friendly conversation, he moved on to Sayaka Maizono. "Hi, I'm Sayaka Maizono. I look forward to getting to know you." Sayaka greeted cheerfully.**

 _ **'The way she moves is positively mesmerizing. And that pleasant scent I can't quite place….'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'Sayaka Maizono.'**_

Makoto blushed madly at that thought being revealed. Sayaka blushed as well, but giggled. "That's really sweet of you Makoto." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush even more.

Leon and Hifumi gave him looks of envy while Kyoko, Celestia, Mukuro, and Hina to narrowed their eyes at Sayaka or gave her annoyed glances. It's no secret to Class 78th that Sayaka has a crush on Makoto. Not only that, but Kyoko, Celestia, Mukuro, and Hina had feelings for the boy as well.

That caused Makoto to be the envy of many guys, especially the fans of the Ultimate Pop Sensation.

 ** _'When I saw her name in that thread online, frankly I was pretty surprised.'_**

"Huh? Why were you surprised?" Sayaka asked him.

"You'll see." Was his answer.

 **An image of Sayaka and her group singing is then shown.** _ **'She's in a pop group famous across the entire country. In fact, she's their lead singer. As the Ultimate Pop Sensation, she's in high demand to appear on TV and in magazines everywhere. But actually, that's not the only reason I was so surprised to find out she'd be going to this school.'**_

 _ **'I'm sure she doesn't remember, but….'**_ **The image disappeared and was replaced back with Sayaka and Makoto talking to one another.** _ **'Well, never mind.'**_

Sayaka hummed to herself. "Are you talking about when we were in middle school together?"

Makoto nodded. "It surprisde me that we were gonna be in the same class again." Makoto admitted. Sayaka 'ahhed' and nodded.

 _ **'No matter how you slice it, she's really beautiful. Almost like a doll or something….'**_

Again, Makoto blushed in embarrassment due to his thoughts being revealed to everyone. It didn't help when the others laughed at his embarrassment or when Leon commented on it. "Really? Comparing her to a doll?" Leon questioned. "Real smooth man."

"How am I supposed to know people were going to see my thoughts?" Makoto protested.

Sayaka then spoke up. "And it's smoother than your pick up lines Leon." The singer shot back at the baseball player. "You didn't forget the slaps you've gotten from other girls at Hope's Peak, didn't you?" Leon flushed.

"Sh-Shut up."

 **"I'm not a doll, you know. I'm alive!" Sayaka suddenly said, startling Makoto.**

 **"Huh?" Makoto let out. "Did you hear me?!"**

 **"I'm psychic." Sayaka said with a serious face.**

 **"...Huh?" It was the only sound Makoto could make.**

 **Sayaka smiled again. "Kidding! I just have really good intuition." She stated.**

Makoto sighed, but smiled in amusement. "You always love to say that."

"Of course. The looks on people's faces are funny!" Sayaka replied.

 ** _'She's a sharp one….'_ Makoto had to admit, he was impressed.**

Sayaka giggled. "Why thank you Makoto." Sayaka thanked the luckster, her sweet smile on point.

 **Sayaka spoke up once again. "Hey, by any chance….?"**

 **"Yes?" Makoto wondered what's on Sayaka's mind.**

 **A look of realization entered on Sayaka's face. "...Yeah, it must be. I'm sure of it. Hey Makoto, did-"**

 _'I still can't believe she remembers me.'_ Makoto thought in wonder. He never thought the Ultimate Pop Sensation would remember someone like him.

 **Unfortunately, Taka cut in. "Jeez, you guys! How long do you plan on to waste our valuable time with this ridiculous back-and-forth?!" He exclaimed loudly. "Self-introductions are for introducing yourself, not bumbling through a bunch of idle chit-chat!"**

Several jumped at this. "I guess we should've have expected that coming." Celestia stated.

 **That startled the two of them. "Y-You're right. S-Sorry. Just got carried away, I guess…." Sayaka apologized. "Sorry Makoto. We can talk about this later." With that, the singer moved away to introduce herself to others.**

 **Meanwhile, Makoto thought about Sayaka's words. _'It sounded like Sayaka really had something she wanted to say. But it's not like we'll never see each other again. Like she said, we can talk later.'_**

Sayaka giggled. "You have good intuition as well." Sayaka complimented. Makoto blushed.

"Not as good as yours." Makoto complimented back. "I mean, I know I'm like an open book, but the accuracy of your intuition is amazing." Sayaka blushed and looked away.

"Thank you Makoto. That's nice of you to say."

 **He then moved to the next person to talk to. Leon Kuwata. "Yo! The name's Leon Kuwata! What's up?" Leon greeted.**

 **That surprised Makoto a bit. _'I recognize that name.'_ Makoto realized. An image of Leon, in a professional baseball uniform and an intense look, playing baseball. _'He played for the national high school champs as their cleanup hitter. The Ultimate Baseball Star….'_**

Leon groaned. "I wish I could burn that picture." Leon stated. "How did somebody get that anyway?"

"Maybe you could ask Mahiru, from the 77th class." Chihiro suggested. "She is the Ultimate Photographer, so she should know."

Leon nodded. "I'll go do that after all of this."

 ** _'And that superb athletic specimen is….'_ Makoto thought. Then the image switched back to Makoto and Leon talking. "You? Seriously?!" Makoto blurted out.**

That caused the others to laugh while Leon sulked. "Was it really that surprising?" Leon asked him.

Makoto chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry man. I guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

That startled Leon a bit. "Huh? What's wrong?" Leon asked.

 **"N-Nothing, I'm just….surprised." Makoto explained himself. "I figured with you being the Ultimate Baseball Star and all…."**

 **"What, were you expecting some kid with a shaved head?" Leon questioned with a bit of annoyance.**

 **"Shaved head?" Makoto shook his head. "No, I was just expecting more of a, you know, sporty-looking traditional baseball player type. That's how you looked when I found that article and picture of you online."**

"You have to admit, the difference between that picture and your regular appearance is remarkably different." Celestia stated.

Leon huffed. "It's not like I wanted to dress like that, you know. That's just part of playing in the national championship."

 **That shocked Leon. "What?! Aw man, you found that picture of me playing baseball? Seriously?! I hate that picture!" He crossed his arms and huffed. "This is not cool. This is so not cool. Seriously, I'm like, mega embarrassed right now."**

 **The baseball player then explained himself. "I didn't have a choice, okay? Shaving your head like that is part of national championship regulations!" He then pointed his thumb at his hair. "But now I refuse to cut my hair. And I'm not gonna dye it back to normal either!"**

"Heck yeah!" Leo pumped his fist. "There's no way I'm gonna cut this bad puppy off!" Makoto shook his head at his best friend's antics.

 **"Can I be honest with you for a second?" When Makoto nodded, Leon spoke again. "I don't like baseball. Like, at all. Never gone to a single practice."**

"So, honest huh?" Makoto questioned, sending a look to Leon.

Leon chuckled sheepishly. "Okay, so the part about not liking baseball is a bit of a lie. The only part I didn't like about it was cutting my hair off."

 **Makoto's eyes widened at this. _'He's never practiced, and yet he was still his team's star player?'_ Makoto thought in disbelief. _'He must be some kind of prodigy….'_**

"I still wonder how someone so lazy can be so good." Sayaka muttered. While she held no grudge against Leon, she's still a bit miffed that someone as lazy as him could earn his skills and position so easily, compared to where she had to work hard to get her spot.

Makoto helped her out in getting most of that resentment out, but there are times where she can get annoyed by it.

 **"And as soon as I got accepted here, I quit baseball for good! I have my own dream for the future!" Leon declared.**

 **Makoto looked at him, confused. "A dream….for the future?"**

 **Leon grinned. "My only path in life is getting into music! You can feel that star-quality aura I have, right?" He rhetorically asked. "I'm gonna be a singer, so all I need is a songwriter and someone on a guitar, and we're all set! This new version of me that's chasing after my dream is like….super cool to the max!"**

Some sighed while others rolled their eyes. "And how's that been working for ya?" Mondo asked him dryly.

Leon blushed and looked away. "Um, not so well." Leon chuckled sheepishly. "Someone else got the title for Ultimate Musician already."

"It's a good thing you only did it just to get a girl." Hina stated with an eye roll.

"And that we got you back into professional baseball again." Byakuya spoke in. Leon groaned.

"Yeah, yeah. Twist the wound, would ya?"

 ** _'I can't believe what I'm hearing.'_ Makoto thought incredulously. _'I never imagined that I'd hear something like that from a baseball all-star….'_**

"Are we that different from what people expect?" Chihiro questioned.

Makoto explained. "For some of you, yes. Remember that most people are only seeing specific things like what you guys excel at, so we normal people tend to paint a different picture from what is actually true. Though I'll admit, some stories are more crazy than others."

 **Shaking his head, Makoto moved on to another classmate. Hifumi Yamada. "I….am Hifumi Yamada. But if you want to call me by my nickname, 'The Alpha and the Omega' I don't mind!" Hifumi stated.**

Leon shook his head. "Dude, no one is going to call you that. Only you do."

Hifumi slumped. "I know…."

 **"By the way, how much do you know about the world of 2D art?" Hifumi asked.**

 **"World of….2D?" Makoto hesitantly said.**

 **Hifumi then started to get pumped up and smiled. "Well, in that world, I am well known and supremely regarded as the Ultimate Fanfic Creator. I once sold 10,000 copies of one of my fan comics at a school festival. The event has passed into legend." He stated proudly. "Some of them didn't get it, of course, saying I 'tainted' the event. How stupid can you be?!"**

"That is tainting the event!" Taka exclaimed, standing up. He pointed at Hifumi. "You can't just sell stuff like that during a school festival! It's a school festival!"

Hifumi quickly stood up, ready to defend his position. "The 10,000 copies I sold says otherwise!" Hifumi stated. "And it didn't taint the school! It made it even better!"

"Why you-"

"Both of you, stop it." Kyoko interrupted. She knew this argument was going to be a long one, and she's not going to have it here. The cold tone in her voice made the two stiffen. "This is not the time for a long pointless argument. Understand?"

"Y-Yes ma'am." The two said, quickly sitting back down. Kyoko is one of the girls you don't want on your bad side.

 ** _'That's too bad about them, but selling 10,000 copies like that is definitely pretty remarkable.'_ Makoto thought.**

 **Hifumi continued. "The words of such idiots means nothing to me. I am like Van Gogh-utterly unappreciated in my time. I am a soldier, serving day and night to destroy all mindless preconceptions of fanfiction. I'm sure if you were to observe my work, Mr. Naegi, you would comprehend its greatness immediately. For my work is filled with the deepest meaning…."**

Toki scoffed. "G-Greatness? D-Deepest meaning? D-Don't make me laugh. T-They're are j-just pictures with d-dialogue. N-No deep meaning in t-those."

"I call blasphemy in that!" Hifumi declared. The two glared at one another, causing the others to sigh.

The rivalry between those two will never end.

 **"What….what kind of meaning?" Makoto hesitantly asked.**

 **"It's about embracing our basest urges." Hifumi declared.**

"And this is one of the many reasons why you don't have a girlfriend dude." Mondo deadpanned. Hifumi sagged a little at that.

 ** _'I don't think I want to comprehend it.'_ Was Makoto's deadpanned thought.**

"Smart thinking." Celeste instantly agreed with Makoto.

Makoto smiled uneasily while Hifumi sagged even more. "Sorry Hifumi." Makoto apologized.

 **Moving away from Hifumi, Makoto moved onto the next person. Aoi Asahina. "Heya! I'm Aio Asahina! But my friends just call me Hina. Sup?" Aoi introduced herself.**

 _ **'Aoi Asahina.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'She's been breaking records in every competition she's been in since elementary school. She's even been chosen as an upcoming Olympic cadet. She is, without a doubt, the Ultimate Swimming Pro.'**_

Hina grinned bashfully and rubbed the back of his head. "Aww, you're making me blush Makoto." Hina said.

 _ **'The combination of her ability, appearance, and, um….proportions has been widely discussed online….'**_ **Makoto thought.**

Hina looked confused at the 'proportions' part. "Um, what do you mean by proportions Makoto?" Makoto looked away, not sure how to answer that.

Unfortunately, Toko decided to answer. "H-He's talking about y-your b-big bimbo b-breasts."

Hina blinked once. Then she blushed heavily, and covered her chest. "Ehhhhh? Seriously? People talk about that?"

Sakura's head turned down, her face darkening. "Makoto….."

Makoto held his hands up in surrender. "I only meant that in the most neutral way possible!" He exclaimed in panic. "I promise, I never participated in those discussions! The only reason I know about it is because I was looking up you guys online and it just happened to be in one of the forums!"

Sakura stared at him, trying to find any lies that were hidden in his words. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. But you will give the name of the sites you found those comments, and I'll see what they've been saying about my friend." Makoto gulped, feeling pity for those unlucky perverts.

Hina's blush still remained on her face, though for a different reason. She wonders what Makoto thought of her looks, and if he agreed with the viewers online. Maybe she can ask him later.

 **Hina then adopted a thinking face. "So, uh, what's your name again? Sorry, totally forgot!"**

 **"Makoto Naegi." The luckster answered easily.**

 **She smiled. "Oh yeah, I knew it was something like that!"**

 **"No, not 'something like that'. It is that…." Makoto said with slight exasperation.**

 **"Sure, sure, got it!" Hina said cheerfully. "Here, I'll hammer it into my brain right now!" She then moved her finger on her palm, like she's writing something. "Makoto Naegi….Makoto Naegi…."**

 **That confused Makoto a little. "Um, what are you doing?" He asked.**

 **"You don't know?" Hina look a little surprise by this. "If you wanna remember someone's name, you gotta write it on your hand three times!"**

 **"I've never heard that before in my life…." Makoto deadpanned.**

"Neither did the majority of us." Byakuya stated. He sighed. "Honestly, where did such a ridiculous theory come from? And if you say Hiro, I'm going to laugh."

"No, of course not!" Hina quickly denied. "I didn't take anything he said seriously since day one of meeting him!"

"Hey!"

"But it seems to work for her." Makoto supported the swimmer. "So I don't think it's that big of a deal."

Byakuya tsked, but didn't argue. "Whatever you say."

Hina gave Makoto a grateful smile for the support. He's always looking out for everyone, one of the things she likes about him.

 **"Hey, by the way….how do you spell your last name?" Hina asked him.**

 **"You spell it exactly like how it sounds." Makoto told her.**

 **Hina put on another thinking face. "Umm…." She stayed silent for a moment, trying to figure out how to spell the name. After a couple seconds, she smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I have no idea. Hahaha! I'll just figure it out later and write it down. Anyway, glad to meet ya!"**

 **"S-Sure, same here." Makoto said, a bit surprised about the amount of energy she's got. _'Well, one thing I learned is that she's totally easy going and bursting with energy.'_**

"One of Hina's signature and best traits." Makoto continued, causing Hina to blush.

Sakura nodded. "I agree, it's what makes Hina so easy to befriend."

"Not to mention how nice she is." Chihiro added. Hina's blush growing bigger at the compliments.

"Come on you guys, you're giving me actual blushes." Hina said, looking away from them bashfully.

"Y-You're probably enjoying the a-attention, you b-bimbo." Toko retorted, ruining the moment and causing Hina's bashfulness to be replaced with embarrassment and anger.

"I-I do not! And stop calling me a bimbo!"

Before the argument could escalate anything further, Makoto stepped in. "Please, don't fight. We still need to finish watching this, remember?" The two glared at one another, but complied to Makoto's wishes.

 **After talking to Hina, he continued onto his next fellow classmate, Chihiro Fujisaki. "Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Chihiro Fujisaki." Chihiro greeted shyly, a blush on her face. "Sorry, I get kinda embarrassed whenever I introduce myself like this." She then gave a smile. "Anyway, I hope we can get along."**

Sayaka squealed. "You are so cute Chihiro! So very cute!"

"Th-Thank you." Chihiro said, a blush on the programmer's face.

 **"Same here. Nice to meet you." Makoto greeted back, smiling.**

 **"...Huh?" A glint suddenly hit Chihiro's eyes. "Maybe it's just my imagination, but….have we met before?"**

Heads shot up at that.

"Wait, our memories were wiped, right?" Taka asked. "If so, how does Chihiro recognize Makoto? Did the two of you meet before Hope's Peak?"

The two of them shook their head. "No, we never met before Hope's Peak." Makoto answered.

 **"Um, I don't think so." Makoto responded back. "We just met for the first time. Which is why I said 'nice to meet you.'"**

"See?" Makoto pointed out.

"So, our memories aren't completely wiped from our minds." Kyoko stated. "More like they were locked up instead."

"I wonder what it would take to get them back." Byakuya pondered.

"We'll just have to see." Sakura said, turning to Makoto. "On another topic, was that last sentence from your future self really necessary? There was no need to be smart about it."

Makoto winced. "I don't think my future self meant it like that." Makoto said. "But I'm sorry if I caused any misunderstandings Chihiro."

"It's alright." The programmer said, not bothered at all. "While my amnesiac future self might take it the wrong way, I know you aren't like that most of the time Makoto."

 **"Oh yeah. Good point." Chihiro agreed, looking a bit embarrassed. "Sorry."**

 **"Y-You don't have to apologize for that." Makoto said to her.**

 **"Oh, yeah."**

 _ **'Chihiro Fujisaki is known for all the cutting edge programs she's created. She's the Ultimate Programmer.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'She's also got that timid little bunny thing going on, which has endeared her to her legion of fans.'**_

Chihiro shuffled uncomfortably at the mention of those fans and Leon's comment didn't help either. "Yeah, I can see why she's got so many fans."

"And not just guy fans either. There are many girls who find her demeanor cute." Celestia commented.

"She's just the sister girls would want to have!" Sayaka stated happily.

Makoto, seeing how uncomfortable Chihiro looked, spoke up. "How about we stop talking about this? There's still a lot to watch."

"The dude is right. Let's finish this so we can fucking go home." Mondo supported. With that, the group fell silent once again, with Chihiro giving them both a thankful smile.

 **"Hey, so l-listen," Chihiro hesitantly said, her eyes seemed like they would burst into tears any moment. "I-I'm really sorry."**

 **"Huh?" Makoto was brought out of his thoughts at Chihiro's sudden apology. "What are you apologizing for?"**

 **"Well, just cuz….you seem upset." Chihiro answered. "You must be mad at me, right?"**

 **"No, not at all!" Makoto hastily reassured. "I was just lost in thought about something."**

 **"Huh? Lost in thought?" Chihiro asked, a bit curious.**

 **Makoto nodded. "Yeah! It had nothing to do with me being upset or anything." Chihiro sighed in relief at that.**

 **"Oh, good. I was afraid that maybe you didn't like me." She said, her cute smile returning to her face. "Hehe….I'm glad!"**

 **Makoto stayed silent, stunned by how cute Chihiro is acting. _'Okay, I'm starting to understand why her fans are so into her…_** _.'_

Now it's Makoto turned to shuffle uncomfortably. He and Mondo are one of the few people who knew about Chihiro's true gender. The fact that he was a little attracted to a boy….bothered him a little, but not that much.

Chihiro played a very convincing girl. His performance even tricked Byakuya and Kyoko, the most observant people in the class. That made him feel better about it.

"Alright, so seven introductions down." Hina counted. "Seven more to go."

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this long chapter. Usually, I don't make chapters this long, but I wanted to get through half of the introductions. Don't know if I'll continue making long chapters like these. I guess it'll depend on where would be a good stopping point for each chapter. Anyways, I also hope that none of the characters were being too OOC. I tried to keep them in character as much as possible. Review, favorite, and follow and I will later.**


	5. Watching Prologue: Welcome to Despair P4

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. I'm glad that all of you liked the reactions to the first seven introduction. Hopefully, this will be just as good. The reactions to Kyoko's and 'Junko's' introduction were the most difficult. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 04: Watching the Prologue: Welcome to Despair Pt 4

 **Shaking his head, Makoto got himself out of his stupor and went onto the his next classmate, Kyoko Kirigiri. Makoto waited for the girl to say something, but there was only silence. Several seconds had past, and the awkward silence continued.**

"Um, Kyoko, in an introduction, you introduce yourself." Leon pointed out dryly. "Even someone like Byakuya knows that."

Kyoko flushed and gave the baseball player a glare. "I know that Kuwata, thank you very much."

 **Finally, Makoto spoke. "Um….can I ask you name?" He asked hesitantly.**

 **There was another moment of silence after that. But finally, Kyoko spoke. "My name is….Kyoko Kirigiri." After that, she went back into silence again.**

"You really had a hard time interacting with us." Makoto chuckled, causing Kyoko to flushed.

"I never had any interactions with people my age before I got to Hope's Peak, so give me a break." Kyoko stated, looking a bit embarrassed. "I don't have your natural ability to get along with everybody around you."

Makoto blushed at that. "You're exaggerating about my 'natural ability'."

"Do I seem like someone who would exaggerate things?" Kyoko retorted. "You were the first one who managed to befriend me, and later helped me socialize with the others. Not to mention our other… more difficult classmates as well." Kyoko smiled. "Trust me, you're a natural at making friends."

Makoto blush grew bigger at this, but he held a smile on his face.

 ** _'She's pretty tight lipped, huh?'_ Makoto thought. Then another thought came to mind. _'Oh, but you know, her name didn't show up anywhere in that Hope's Peak Academy thread. And I did see students like me, ones who didn't have any real identity or presence. Could she be one of them….?'_**

Makoto shook his head. "You are too good at your job Kyoko." Makoto complimented. "To be able to keep your title and yourself out of the media is incredible."

Kyoko blushed and looked away. Despite being friends with Makoto for a while now, she still isn't used to his compliments. "I-It's nothing." Kyoko said. "A Kirigiri prides themselves in their skills."

 **"So, um….what are you doing at this school?" Makoto asked her hesitantly.**

Makoto winced at how that sounded. More so when someone pointed it out. "Those were poor word choices Makoto." Taka told him.

The luckster smiled apologetically at Kyoko. "Sorry about that Kyoko."

The girl waved it off. "Don't worry. It isn't that big of a deal." Kyoko said. "Besides, I know you well enough that I know that wasn't your intent."

 **Kyoko stared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.**

 **Noticing his poor choice of words, he corrected himself. "No, I just meant…. getting invited here means you're some kind of 'ultimate', right? So what's your talent?"**

 **She was silent again, looking away from him. When she spoke again, she sounded a bit defensive. "Why should I tell you?"**

That surprised the others a bit, including Kyoko. "But I remember you telling me your talent when we first met." Makoto said in confusion. "Why doesn't your future self want to tell me?"

"That's what I'm wondering." Kyoko stated. "While I didn't like revealing my skills in the first place, it didn't matter all that much since I decided to reveal myself to Hope's Peak."

"Maybe it has something to do with the memory wipe?" Sakura suggested.

Kyoko thought about that. "Maybe, but I'm not sure about that. The memory wipe doesn't seem to have affected our personalities."

 **That startled Makoto a bit. "Huh?" He rubbed the back of his head. "Well….I guess you don't have to tell me."**

 **"No, I don't have to tell you. So I'm not going to you." She said coldly.**

That got a frown from Sayaka. "Your future self didn't have to rude about it." Sayaka said a bit angrily. "It's not he like he tried to push you into telling him."

Kyoko winced because she couldn't deny it. That was rude of her future self and despite the fact that it was her future self's words, she couldn't help but be embarrassed a little. After all, the future Kyoko is still HER.

Makoto, ever the pacifist, spoke up. "Calm down Sayaka, it's not that big of a deal." Makoto placated. "No use at getting upset for something that happens in another time, especially something so small."

Sayaka sighed, but didn't argue. Makoto is the type to forgive others easily, especially those he sees as a friend.

And knowing that Kyoko's feeling embarrassed, Makoto grabbed her hand, getting her attention. He smiled at her, silently saying not to worry about it.

That washed away the detective's embarrassment as she squeezed his hand in thanks.

 ** _'Nothing about her turned up online, so I was thinking she maybe got picked by chance like me, but….'_ Makoto examined her, seeing no facial emotions on her. _'Her face is like an iron mask. If she doesn't want to tell me anything, no point asking.'_**

"That's Kyoko for ya." Makoto agreed with his future self. "Don't say anything unless she wants to or know she needs to."

Kyoko smiled. That's what she likes about Makoto, his understanding nature and how well he reads people in first meetings. She then noticed that she's still holding Makoto's hand. She blushed a little at this, and quickly took her hands away.

She never really had physical contact with people, or let anyone touch her without her permission. So things like holding hands with her crush can easily fluster her.

 **Makoto then moved away from her and onto the next person, Junko Enoshima. "Hii! I'm Junko Enoshima! Charmed, I'm sure!"**

Makoto narrowed his eyes at the Junko on screen, trying to figure out what's different. It didn't take him long to figure it out, and when he did, his eyes widened in recognition. A couple other eyes also lit up in recognition, mainly Byakuya's and Kyoko's.

"Wait a minute, that isn't Junko." Makoto stated, getting the group's attention. "That's Mukuro."

This shocked the rest of the class. "Seriously?" Taka questioned. "How can you be sure?"

"It's the freckles." Makoto answered. "Junko doesn't have freckles. But Mukuro does. If it wasn't for that, they would be exactly alike."

"There's also a difference in body size." Kyoko mentioned. "And a slight difference in the eyes' shape and color compared to Junko. The difference can be seen if you look more closely."

The others then took a closer look at the Junko on the screen, and began to see the differences. "Okay, I can see the difference." Leon agreed. He didn't dare mention Mukuro's assets. He doesn't have a death wish. "But why is Mukuro disguised as Junko in the first place?"

"Why not ask the girl herself?" Byakuya asked, looking at the Ultimate Soldier.

Mukuro shook her head. "I don't know myself, since this is in the future." Mukuro stated. "But if I had to guess, maybe my future felt that Junko was being targeted or something, and disguised herself to make sure she isn't harmed."

"And then Mukuro could beat the crap out of the creep!" Junko declared. She then got some glasses out of nowhere, and spoke in a teacher-like tone. "Too bad she didn't calculate the others getting targeted and her memories getting taken."

"So does that mean Junko is the only one who wasn't taken?" Celestia asked.

"Another mystery to add to the list of mysteries." Chihiro said.

 ** _'Anybody would recognize this one,'_ Makoto thought. The scene is then switched to the various magazines of Junko. _'She's got more charm and presence than any other high school girl in the country. She's the Ultimate Fashionista.'_**

Junko grinned and placed her hands over her heart. "Aww Makoto, I'm touched!" She teased. "If you want, I can arrange for you to get a front row seat for my next photo shoot!"

Makoto blushed scarlet red at that while several girls glared at the fashionista, including her sister. Junko giggled. It's so fun getting her female classmates angry.

 ** _'I've seen her in tons of magazines covers, but….'_ The scene is then switched back to the present Junko. "I feel that it doesn't match up to reality."**

Mukuro frowned at that. "Are you saying that I'm not as pretty as my sister?" Mukuro asked. While she had been compared to her sister a lot, hearing it from Makoto was a bit painful.

"No, not at all!" Makoto quickly explained himself. "My future self is just seeing the difference between the covers and you disguised as Junko, that's all. Besides, you have your distinct beauty."

That surprise Mukuro. "R-Really?" She stammered.

Makoto nodded. "When you relax and let your guard down, you look….really cute. Cuter than most girls."

That caused Mukuro to blush madly and look away. "T-Thank you." Mukuro stuttered out, her cold demeanor melting instantly. Only Makoto and her sister were able to do something like that. She didn't notice the glares being sent in her direction.

Leon looked at Makoto enviously. How on earth does his friend pick up all the girls so easily? He even gets the colder ones, and he doesn't even know he's doing it!

 **"Huh?" Junko said in surprise. But then realization hit her eyes. "Oh, are you talking about my cover photos and junk?" She then grinned and gave a peace sign. "Ahaha, well of course! Those are totally photoshopped!"**

 **"Photoshopped?"**

 **"Yeah, you know - like edited to hell and back. With like, computers and junk." Junko explained.**

 **"Oh, so they aren't real." Makoto said in a bit of surprised.**

 **That caused Junko to frown. "Come on, don't act all surprised! You're gonna make me all depressed." She said. "It's totally normal these days to photoshop the crap out of cover photos."**

"She's correct, but given the Ultimate Fashionista title, you would think she wouldn't need to be photoshopped." Hifumi stated. "After all, she's got that title for a reason."

"That's right. My beautiful little face." Junko stated, in her diva persona. "And my gorgeous looking bod." A few rolled their eyes at her bragging, but didn't disagree. Junko definitely earned the title of Ultimate Fashionista, especially since she can switch personas so easily whenever needed.

 **"If you're surprise by that, you'd be totally blown away by a certain dangerous little diva of ours." Junko continued. "They make the eyes and junk super big, and tweak the skin so it looks all ceramic and porcelain."**

 **"Oh." Makoto said. Then he thought. _'So many dreams are getting crushed today….'_ These guys are definitely different from how others see them.**

 **He then moved onto the next person, Mondo Owada. "Name's Mondo Owada. Nice to fuckin meetcha." Mondo introduced himself.**

 ** _'Mondo Owada, huh? Which means,'_ The scene then switch to the army of bikers, with Mondo leading them. _'He's the current leader of the largest biker gang in Japan. He's earned respect, even awe, from every gang leader in the country. He's the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader….'_**

"Damn straight!" Mondo stated with a grin. "And let nobody forget it!"

"Being able to lead hundreds of those bikers is definitely incredible." Chihiro agreed. "Not many could be able to control that amount of people."

"It's not easy, let me tell you." The biker sighed. "Had to get people I trust to break up fights or make sure some don't take things too far. Good thing there were quite a few that my brother trusted….before he died."

Taka patted his friend's shoulder in comfort, knowing that it's hard for him to mention his deceased brother.

 **Makoto was silent, a bit nervous to say anything to the gang leader. "Umm," Makoto said before managing to get out a sentence. "Nice to meet you, too."**

 **"Hell yeah." Was Mondo's response.**

 _ **'I'd better be careful around him.'**_ **Makoto thought nervously.** _ **'One wrong word and I could wake up at the bottom of the ocean….'**_

"You really thought I was that violent dude?" Mondo asked him.

Makoto chuckled sheepishly and rubbed his head. "Sorry Mondo, but to be fair, your appearance and demeanor didn't help much."

"Not to mention what happened to Chihiro's bullies and stalkers." Leon mentioned. "You've definitely got a temper in you."

Mondo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah." The biker sighed.

 **He quickly moved onto his next classmate, who looked even more threatening than Mondo, Sakura Ogami. "I am Sakura Ogami." Sakura stated simply.**

 **Makoto opened his mouth to ask something before quickly closing it. _'Oh jeez, that was close. I almost asked her if she was a guy.'_ Makoto thought. _'The day I say something like that is the day I turn into a human meatball.'_**

Several of the students laughed while Makoto winced, smiling apologetically at Sakura. "Sorry Sakura."

The martial artist merely smiled in amusement. "It's fine." She stated. "You're not the first to think that I was a guy, and you probably won't be the last."

 ** _'But I remember now. She competed in a martial arts tournament and won, despite being a girl. She's the Ultimate Martial Artist. She's fought in over 400 matches and never lost a single one.'_**

"Definitely competing in the strongest out of the class." Leon commented. "The only one in here that could probably match against her is Mukuro."

"I admit, Mukuro is a worthy opponent to face." Sakura said. She then turned to Makoto. "By the way, what do you mean when you said 'despite being a girl'?"

Makoto stiffened and paled at Sakura's gaze. One wrong word and he's dead. "I-I don't mean it in a bad way Sakura!" Makoto hastily explained himself. "I know that some girls can be tough, but there aren't that many that are as strong as you! I meant it like that!"

Sakura stared at him a little longer, making the boy even more nervous. However, shortly after, she tore her eyes away him. "Very well, I will accept that. I know you are far too kind-hearted to mean anything of ill intent."

Makoto couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, getting a giggle from Sayaka and a smirk from Kyoko. He dodged a huge bullet there.

 ** _'That thread also said a bit more about her.'_ Makoto thought. _'Some called her Ogre; some even think she's the closest known relative to the primates-the famed missing link.'_**

Sakura sighed in annoyance at that. "Where do people come up with such ludicrous theories?"

"Most likely the same place Yasuhiro comes up with his ridiculous theories." Celestia commented. "Because they are stupid, plain and simple."

"My theories aren't stupid!" Hiro protested. "They have at least a thirty percent chance at being correct! Besides, they might be right about that theory there!"

"It's no wonder he's still in high school." Byakuya grumbled under his breath.

 ** _'I remember a warning from one of threads. I think it was "Any incoming Hope's Peak students who are reading this, let me warn you right now. If you value your life, avoid her at all costs."'_**

 **Makoto took in Sakura's appearance.** _ **'Standing in front of her now, I don't think they were exaggerating about that….'**_

"Sakura isn't violent!" Hina huffed. "She may look scary, but she doesn't have a temper like Mondo!" Then she realized what she said about her friend, and smiled sheepishly at her. "No offense Sakura."

"None taken Hina." Sakura reassured her. "I know my appearance can be frightening to others. That's probably the reason why they made that warning."

"It really goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover." Makoto chuckled. "Though you can be frightening when one of us, especially Hina, gets hurt or harassed in some way." Sakura is protective of her friends, that's for sure.

 **Sakura then spoke up. "Hey, you."**

 **"Huh? Y-Yes?!" Without knowing, Makoto stand up to attention. Saying nothing else, Sakura began to poke and prod at his body, confusing the boy.**

 **"Um….what are you….?"**

 **"Muscular quality and quantity is right around that of an extremely ordinary high school student." Sakura said in disappointment. "Hmph. What a shame. You aren't at all fit to be my training partner."**

"It weirded me out when she started doing that to me as well." Leon sighed. "And I'm glad I'm not sparring with her."

"Which reminds me, how sparring with Mukuro?" Makoto asked the martial artist. Few months back, the luckster managed to convince Mukuro to spar with Sakura every now and then.

"Like I said before, she's a worthy opponent to be facing." Sakura said. "Her training and her time with Fenrir has served her well."

"I admit, Sakura is probably one of the toughest opponents I've faced." Mukuro admitted. The skills the both of them possessed eventually fostered into mutual respect towards one another.

 ** _'I'm not sure that's a shame for me.'_ Makoto deadpanned. The luckster then moved onto the next person, Byakuya Togami.**

 **"Name's Byakuya Togami." Byakuya said shortly. He didn't say anything else afterwards.**

 **"Hi, uh….nice to meet you." Makoto said. Byakuya still didn't say anything else. _'That's the most half-assed introduction I've ever heard.' Makoto thought with some annoyance._**

"That's Byakuya for you." Hina sighed. "He did the same for the rest of us."

"Introductions are just introductions. No need for small talk." The Togami heir stated. "Especially in the situation our future selves are in."

"Still, your intro could've been better." Celestia commented.

Byakuya sighed. "I admit, I could've made some effort to greet you simpletons." He said. "But what's done is done, and it's a waste of time to even think about it."

"I-I thought master's g-greeting was c-cool." Toko muttered.

 ** _'But there isn't anything I could do about it.'_ Makoto thought in resignation. _'Even amongst the ultimate students, this one is special. Byakuya Togami….the heir to his family's massive financial conglomerate. He's already started managing business operations, and his own personal assets are, well, vast. His title of Ultimate Affluent Progeny is completely accurate. He's the definition of "exceptional". That's everything I learned about him in the Hope's Peak Academy thread online.'_**

Byakuya made a 'hmph' sound. "I don't need anyone telling me this." He stated haughtily. "I already know that I'm the very definition of exceptional."

Several rolled their eyes, especially Hina. "By the way, how big are your assets?" Hifumi asked him in curiousity.

"Big enough to make Sayaka's or Leon's look small in comparison." Was Byakuya's answer.

Makoto backed up that answer. "He's not exaggerating. I saw glimpses of his assets online, and they were a lot."

 **"We're done with introductions, right?" Byakuya questioned, jolting Makoto from his thoughts. "How much longer are you going to stand there? Go away. I'm sick of looking at you." His aura was similar to that of a king in training.**

"I forgot how much of an asshole he was." Mondo groaned.

"You're acting like he changed at all." Hiro stated. "He's still a big jerk to all of us."

"He may still be a jerk, but he's our jerk now!" Hina stated cheerly.

Byakuya's eye twitched at that. Annoyances, all of them.

 **Quickly moving away, he went onto the next person, Yasuhiro Hagakure. "I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure-Hiro for short! Take it easy, yeah? I know I will!"**

 _ **'Yasuhiro Hagakure, known as "Supernova" in the psychic community.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'The trend setting Ultimate Clairvoyant. Honestly, I don't really get this fortune telling stuff. It's pretty much beyond me. Still, I can't help but wonder if there's any truth to it.'**_

"There's truth in them!" Yasuhiro exclaimed defensively. "My fortunes are accurate thirty percent of the time! That's a higher chance than any other fortune teller!"

"I guess that's out of all the fortune tellers, he became the Ultimate Clairvoyant." Byakuya commented. "The others are even less accurate than he is."

 **"Ahh...okay, I give up." Hiro said, breaking Makoto out of his thoughts.**

 **The boy looked at him in confusion. "Huh? What happened?"**

 **"I saw it. I looked right at it." Hiro murmured. "Seriously, I totally saw it!"**

 **"...Saw what?" Makoto hesitantly asked.**

 **"A guardian angel with a crazy perm chasing after Bigfoot running off with a skyfish in its mouth." Hiro explained. "And that guardian angel….is YOUR guardian angel!"**

…..

The group was silent for a moment, wondering if Hiro was okay in his head. "Where the hell do you come up with this shit?" Mondo questioned.

"I was just kidding about that!" Hiro stated in his defense. "Ask Makoto, I told him the same thing on the first day of school!"

Several eyes turned to the luckster. "Yeah, he was kidding about it." Makoto confirmed with a nod. "Said so himself."

Several 'ahhed' and nodded before going back to the screen.

 **Makoto stared at him, baffled at what the guy said. "Nah, I was just kidding." Hiro laughed it off. "But hey, we should grab some brewskis sometime and get real deep into Lemuria and its civilization."**

 **"What?" Makoto said, both surprised and confused. "We're not allowed to drink! We're in high school!"**

 **"Oh, I'm actually 21." Hiro casually replied. "I've been held back a few times you see, and….well, it's a long story."**

"But still, you think that other students would be allowed to drink?" Byakuya questioned.

Hiro chuckled sheepishly. "I kinda forgot that most high schoolers are younger than me. And that there's very few who're twenty or over."

"V-Very few is c-correct." Toko mumbled.

 _ **'A few times?'**_ **Makoto thought in shock.** _ **'Yeah, I bet that is a long story.'**_

"Wow, your thoughts are really snarky man." Hiro commented on. "I never hear you say anything of these things out loud."

"I don't think anyone did." Hina stated. "It's definitely surprising to see it."

Makoto chuckled and rubbed his head sheepishly. "Well, it can't be that surprising that there a few things I keep to myself." Makoto said sheepishly. "We all have thoughts that we keep in our minds, don't we?"

No one could argue with that. They all did have thoughts that they wouldn't reveal.

 **Shaking his head, he moved on to the last person to talk to, Celestia Ludenberg. "I do not think we have been introduced. I am Celestia Ludenberg." Celestia greeted politely.**

 **"Celestia….Luden….huh?" Makoto couldn't pronounce the last part.**

 **"Ludenberg." Celestia repeated. "It is my name. But if you don't mind, I would prefer you to call me Celeste."**

 **That confused Makoto. "Um….you are Japanese, right?"**

 **"Of course." Celeste confirmed. "Why do you ask?"**

 **"If you don't mind….could you tell me your real name?" Makoto asked carefully.**

That confused a few of the others. "So wait….Celestia isn't her real name?" Hina asked in surprise. Some rolled their eyes or shook their head at the oblivious swimmer.

"It is my real name." Celestia stated, her voice sounding polite, but forceful at the same time. "If you don't mind, why don't we go back to watching this?"

"Wait, but-"

"Hina, we can talk about it more later if you like." Makoto said before the Hina could continue. "But for now, how about we get back to watching this?" Hina was hesitant, but nodded. Celestia smiled at him gratefully for that.

 **Celestia giggled. "I don't know what you're talking about. Celestia Ludenberg is my real name. But as I mentioned, I would much rather you call me Celeste."**

 **Makoto stayed silent at that. _'She's polite, but pretty forceful at the same time. I don't think she wants to say any more about it….'_**

Celestia giggled. "You are one of the very few who could pick up my mood like that. After all, you are very high in my list of C-ranks, and close to B-rank Makoto."

"Um….thank you?" Makoto said, not really understanding what that meant. Though some of the others suspected what the implications were, three of them being Kyoko, Mukuro, and Sayaka. The girls glared at the gambler.

 _ **'I guess the rumors in the thread were right about her.'**_ **Makoto sighed mentally.** _ **'The self styled "Celestia Ludenberg", she's the Ultimate Gambler who's never lost a bet. Other than her obvious love of gothic lolita clothes, everything about her is wrapped in a veil of lies.'**_

 _'But I'm slowly unwrapping that veil.'_ Makoto thought to himself. After all, he's one of the few who found out Celeste's real name.

"It's more like an obsession than love." Leon stated. "We've never seen Celeste in anything else other than those goth clothing."

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with that. It's just something that she likes." Makoto said. "Besides, I think it suits her. It gives her a dark sense of beauty."

Celeste felt a tint of pink enter her cheeks from the compliment. But she cleared it up before anyone else could see it, and smiled at Makoto. "Thank you Makoto. That's very sweet of you to say."

 ** _'They say she entered and won an underground gambling tournament, earning the title of "Queen of Liars". She totally cleaned out the other players, taking their life savings and laughing as she did.'_**

"Yeah, that totally sounds like Celeste." Hiro sighed. "Polite on the outside, but brutal in the inside."

Slowly, Celeste turned towards him, a dark aura growing her. "What did you say about me Yasuhiro?" She asked politely, the dark aura growing bigger with every word.

Hiro yelped and moved his hands in front of him to defend himself. "Nothing! Nothing at all!"

"That's what I thought." The dark aura then disappeared, making Hiro sighed in relief. That's was a close one.

 **"I look forward to getting to know you better." Celestia stated, giggling at the end.**

 _ **'That smile is beyond deceptive.'**_ **Makoto thought cautiously.** _ **'I'd better watch myself around her….'**_

"That's smart of you Makoto." Byakuya stated with a nod. "Celeste is definitely someone you would need to watch your words with." Even he had to admit that Celeste is someone to keep a close eye on.

"Aw, don't worry. I don't plan on humiliating him." Celeste stated. "I have no need to, especially since he's my knight."

Makoto blushed a little at how that sounded while Hina, Kyoko, Mukuro, and Sayaka sent Celeste annoyed glares. The gambler merely smiled at them.

"Hmm, so it looks like all the introductions are done." Chihiro observed.

"So that's mean we'll be going back to the main part of the story!" Hifumi declared.

"And hopefully get some answers." Byakuya finished.

 **And that's the end. I hope you all liked this chapter, and that the reactions are still good. Now, we'll be moving on to the main story now, which is what many of you were probably been waiting for. By the way, when I end the prologue, should I show the opening of Danganronpa? If so, which one? The anime or the game? Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	6. Watching Prologue: Welcome to Despair P5

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Before we begin, I would like to discuss the possibilities of writing in the opening. Now, many suggested either the game or the anime opening. The game, because it's more serious and gives the characters a better understanding about what's happening. The anime, because it has less spoilers (Plus Monokuma dancing).**

 **But there are some who said not to do the openings, with some good reasons. The main one being that watch Class 78th watching isn't an anime or game to them, it's their reality. Not only that, but it would be difficult to write in the opening. I have a feeling openings aren't easy to describe. So I'm not sure if I should do the opening.**

 **That aside for now, let's get to the chapter. I hope you like this one. Have to rewrite a couple of times before it felt right to me.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 05: Watching the Prologue: Welcome to Despair Pt 5

 **With that, all the introductions are done. 'Hmm,' Makoto thought to himself. 'Even though they're all ultimate, they each have their own individual sorts of….something.'**

"Who doesn't at Hope's Peak?" Leon asked as he turned to Makoto. "The only one who doesn't seem to have that different sort of something is you."

Makoto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah. I guess that's the abnormal for Hope's Peak."

"But it's not a bad different." Sayaka chimed in. "Our class needed somebody normal." Several nodded in agreement to her words.

 **Byakuya then spoke up. "Okay, time to get to business." He declared. "This is no time to stand around making friends like a bunch of dull eyed baboons."**

Hina huffed. "Couldn't you say thing nicer for a change?"

"This is Byakuya we're talking about, remember?" Leon asked rhetorically. "Nice is a foreign concept to him."

Hina giggled. "Okay, that's true."

Byakuya chose not to respond. As if he should be nice to his simpletons of classmates.

 **"Oh, that's right." Makoto then directed his next question to everyone. "I think someone said something about a bigger problem or something? What was that about?"**

 **"Well, you see," Sayaka began the explanation. "Makoto, you said a bunch of stuff happened and then you were 'just asleep, right? Well….the same is true for all of us."**

 **Makoto's eyes widened in shock. "What? Seriously?!"**

 **"Just after each of us got to the main hall, we lost consciousness. And when came to, we were somewhere here in the school! That's what happened to you, right?" Leon continued.**

"So here's concrete proof of my theory of entering Hope's Peak being the stopping point." Kyoko stated.

Byakuya nodded. "While we didn't need it, it's nice to confirm that your hypothesis is correct."

"Which also means that your hypothesis about there being a kidnapper around is most likely correct as well." Makoto said. "But if this a kidnapping, is this really Hope's Peak?"

That got eyes on him again. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't this be Hope's Peak?" Hiro asked in confusion.

Before he could answer, Kyoko spoke up. "I think it would be better to see for ourselves what he meant." Kyoko said. "If we keep talking right now, we won't be able to finish."

 **"B-But that's just….weird! That every one of us would get knocked out like that." Makoto cried, feeling of mixture of shock and confusion.**

 **"Exactly!" Mondo yelled out. "That's why we're all freakin' out!"**

 **"And that's not the only thing." Taka spoke up. "You saw where all the windows in the classes and hallways were, right? But instead of normal glass windows, it was a bunch of big metal plates! What's that about?!"**

 **Junko then spoke. "Plus, all my stuff is missing! Even my cellphone."**

 **"Yeah, you're right." Chihiro said. "I haven't seen my PDA anywhere, either."**

"So we don't have our stuff either?" Leon questioned.

"Of course, it would be bad for the one doing this if one of us called for help with our phones." Celestia stated. "It makes sense to take our phones and other electronics."

 **"And then there's the main hall here." Taka stated nervously. "The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch. But there wasn't anything like that when I first got here! What the heck?! What's it doing here?!"**

"Metal plates on the windows, a metal hatch in the front exit," Byakuya listed off. "Plus, there's the change of wallpaper in the hallway. I don't remember these things in the original old school building, do any of you do?"

Everyone shook their head. "Is that what you meant Makoto, when you asked if that is actually Hope's Peak?" Chihiro asked the luckster. Said luckster nodded.

"Yeah. Plus, if this is actually Hope's Peak, what happened to the school?" Makoto asked. "And why isn't there any policemen to break us out?"

"There are so many questions, and we don't have enough details to give a concrete answer." Kyoko mused. "We could say that the kidnapper, or kidnappers, took us to a different place, but there are a lot of similarities to the old school building that we can't ignore." Plus, if they were taken to a different area, it doesn't explain why they….they killed her father.

She mentally growled to herself. Why is that difficult to even think about?

"So for now, we should continue watching." Celestia stated. Everyone silently agreed and turned back to the screen.

 **"Maybe we got caught up in some kinda, like, you know….some kind of crime or something?" Junko suggested nervously.**

 **"What, like….a kidnapping?" Leon questioned, just as nervous. "You think maybe someone grabbed us and hauled us off and we're not actually in school?"**

"Okay, can you stop pointing out kidnapping as a possibility? I'm getting kinda nervous." Leon stated, as nervous as his future self.

"How do you think we're feelin'?" Mondo grumbled.

 **"Come on, don't think like that. Cheer up!" Hiro stated. "I bet this is all just part of the school's orientation procedure." Hiro then started to sound more confident. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it! So I'm just gonna take it easy for a little bit."**

"Yeah, now that you mention it," Hiro mused. "Maybe this is a prank from the school!"

That received many incredulous from the group. "How the hell is this a prank?" Byakuya questioned in disbelief. "Why would the school staff agree to do this for fun?"

"Well, the headmaster does have a sense of humor." Hiro explained optimistically. "It just went out of hand a bit."

"I doubt my father would do something like this." Kyoko stated firmly. "Nor would the school staff."

 **"Oh," Chihiro said with a bit of relief. "So you think they wanted to do something to surprise us?"**

 **"Huh. Well if that's all it is, it's nap time for me." Leon said, relaxing. "I was up way too late last night, so I could use a little shuteye."**

Mukuro shook her head. "That's just wishful thinking there." Mukuro said. "Sooner or later, that's going to come back and bite you."

"To be fair Mukuro, not many would want to go to the worst possible conclusion." Makoto defended their future selves. "It's better to think positive rather than negative."

 **"I could feel the tension evaporating at that time," The narrator Makoto spoke up as several of the students started relaxing. "But then….it began."**

 **The monitor in the room suddenly turned on, revealing static. But soon, something through that static formed. A silhouette. "Ahem! Ahem, testing! Mike check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system!" The image spoke up. "Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then….!"**

 **"Ahh, to all incoming students!" The image continued. "I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at…..right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. That's all. I'll be waiting!" With that, the broadcast ended.**

Makoto felt a bit pale when he heard the broadcast. That voice, so carefree and cheerful….that it made him feel both nervous and scared. Hina, Sayaka, Toko, Hifumi, and Chihiro felt the same way as well.

"What. The. Hell?" Junko stated, sounding creeped out and fearful. Though really, she's just acting for the others. "What was that?"

"I-It definitely wasn't o-one of the t-teachers." Toko stated, more nervous than usual. "N-Nor wasn't t-the usual p-person doing broadcasts."

"This situation keeps getting stranger!" Hifumi stated in fear.

"Maybe they hired someone else to do this." Hiro stated optimistically. "Just to keep the prank up."

"I don't think that's it." Celestia stated calmly. Though while she's calm on the outside, she's a bit nervous in the inside. "This is the work of the mastermind behind this."

Meanwhile, Kyoko is thinking about what they've seen so far. Several questions are in her head right now. Are they at Hope's Peak? Who's pulling the strings? Are they the only ones in the building? If so, why only them out of everyone in Hope's Peak?

So many questions, and not enough information to make a good conclusion.

 **First, there was silence after that broadcast. Then Junko spoke up, sounding scared and creeped out. "What. The Hell was that just now?"**

 **No one answered her question. Instead, Byakuya went to the direction of the gym. "Well then, if you excuse me…."**

 **"H-Hey!" Junko called out in shock. "What, you're gonna take off just like that?"**

"I agree with Mukuro, you really just going to follow that thing's orders?" Hina questioned in shock.

The Togami heir shrugged. "It's not like we really have any other choice." He stated. "Besides, wouldn't it be better to know our situation?"

"I….guess that's true." Hina admitted.

 **"Ohh yeah, now I get it!" Hiro stated to himself. "This whole thing was just to get us all pumped for the entrance ceremony!" He then laughed happily. "Man, thank god it was all a joke. I'd be totally freaked if this was real!"**

That was met with several facepalms or sighs of exasperation. "S-Stupid u-urchin." Toko stuttered out.

"Hey, leave my hairdo out of this!" Hiro exclaimed, holding his hair. "It's stylish!"

"I-It makes you look like a sea urchin with all that over your head." The writer shot back.

 **"Alright, I guess I'll head, too. Wonder what they got planned for us next…." With that, Hiro started leaving.**

 **"Damn, I was totally looking forward to that nap, too." Leon groaned. "Why'd they go and kill the mood?" Leon then went to the direction of the gym.**

 **"W-Wait for me!" Chihiro cried out, running to them. "I wanna go with you!" With that, the programmer left.**

 **"That is it, then." Celeste stated, smiling. "I'll see you all there." The gambler then walked off with the others.**

 **"N-Not that anyone cares, but I-I'm gonna go, too…." Toko stated, going to the gym as well.**

 **Hina also took off to the gym as well, leaving the rest at the main hall. Makoto stood in place, the uneasiness swelling up inside him and not willing to go away.**

 **"This….this doesn't seem right." Sayaka said nervously.**

 **"Yeah, that announcement was totally weird." Junko agreed.**

Sayaka subconsciously clutched Makoto's arm. "I'm also having a bad feeling about this." Sayaka said.

"Yeah, the creepy vibe is really getting bad." Hina stated in nervousness. Sakura, in response, put a hand on the swimmer's arm, silently reassuring her.

"While the video was creepy, we must continue to watch and find out more." Taka stated. "Besides, our others will eventually have to go anyway."

"He's right. Staying at the main hall won't mean we're safe." Kyoko declared, getting out of her thoughts for a bit. "The only thing our future selves can do is go and find out more about the situation."

No one could argue with that, so they all tried to get themselves to calm down. After pushing down her nervousness, Celeste noticed Sayaka clutching onto Makoto's. "And how long are the two of you gonna stay at that position?" Celeste remarked.

The two of them blinked before noticing that Sayaka is clutching onto Makoto's arm. Immediately, the two separated, blushing madly. Some in the group laughed, with Leon giving his friend a teasing grin, while Mukuro and Kyoko gave Sayaka hidden glares. Celeste smiled at them, though that smile held a certain amount of darkness towards Sayaka.

Hina merely pouted. She wished she was sitting near Makoto right now.

 **"Maybe, but just staying put doesn't mean we'll be safe." Kyoko stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, aren't you guys a little curious to find out what's going on around here?"**

 **"If we don't move forward, we learn nothing. The only choice is to push ahead." Sakura said.**

Hina smiled. "You and Kyoko always have wise words for when we need them Sakura."

The martial artist merely shrugged. "I just say what I think is needed to be said. That's all."

"Same here." Kyoko agreed.

 ** _'She's right, I guess.'_ Makoto thought. _'But still….I'm kinda - no. Really nervous. We don't have a choice though. We have to go.'_ Makoto then spoke up. "They said to go to the gym, right?"**

 **Kyoko nodded. With that, the remaining eight went to the direction of the gym. It didn't take them long to get there, and they all entered the trophy room, which was before the gym.**

Kyoko quickly analyzed the room in the screen. "The trophy room is exactly the same." Kyoko stated, after getting a good look. "There are even trophies that you couldn't replicate."

"So we really are in Hope's Peak?" Leon asked in shock. The others are just as shocked. "But that doesn't make any sense! How are they able to seal the old school building and get us in here? I doubt anyone would be ignoring something like that!"

"The ones pulling the string must be some type of group or organization to do this." Byakuya said. "A powerful one at that."

 _'Nope! Just two sisters with a lot of despair to give out!'_ Junko mentally cheered.

 **"God, I had no idea this Hope's Peak Academy place was gonna be such a pain in my balls." Mondo groaned. "It really ain't that different from the time I spent in juvie. Hell, this place is even worse!"**

"Isn't your future self a bit overreacting bro?" Taka asked him.

Mondo grunted. "Only a couple of people in the building, windows and doors sealed shut, a dark aura around the place, and fucking guns at the front of the door." The gang leader listed off. "No, I don't think my future self is overreacting about feeling like juvie, maybe even worse."

"At least we aren't in prison uniforms or in chains." Makoto said optimistically.

 **"And why isn't there anyone here?" Sayaka questioned. "Walking through the halls, I don't see a single person…."**

 **"Not a single person?" Sayaka repeated her future self. "But why isn't any of the other Hope's Peak students or classes chosen?"**

"Does someone have a grudge on us that we didn't know about?" Mondo asked.

Hiro, however, thought differently. "Maybe the rest of the student body are in on the prank, and watching us!" He received more than a few face palms for that suggestion.

"Ignoring the idiot," Byakuya said in slight annoyance. "The situation is definitely strange."

 **"Isn't that like, seriously not good?" Junko questioned in nervousness.**

 **"Th-They're just trying to spook us! They'll take those metal plates down later, I'm sure of it…." Taka said, trying to sound reassuring. But in reality, he wasn't so sure of himself either.**

 **"All we can do now is hope for the best and prepare for the worst." Sakura stated. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."**

 **"Well hell, it ain't like I'm scared or nothin. Let's just get this over with!" Mondo said.**

Celestia rolled her eyes. "Sure, keep telling yourself that you aren't the least bit scared." Celestia commented. "It might just work if you do it enough."

"Shut up." Mondo grumbled.

 **Then he started yelling angrily. "Hey! Where's whoever called us here?!" He started running into the gym.**

"Must you run in there Mondo?" Taka griped. He could've just walked!

 **"Mondo stop, no running!" Taka exclaimed, running towards the biker.**

"L-Like you're o-one t-to talk." Toko said to Taka. The moral compass looked sheepish at this.

"Well, I was trying to stop him." Taka weakly defended himself.

 **Sakura then followed them. "I too, shall go." She walked calmly into the gym.**

 **"H-Hey wait! Don't leave me here all alone!" Hifumi cried out, quickly going with them.**

 **Makoto, Kyoko, Sayaka, and Junko looked at each before they all entered into the gym, despite the uneasy dread they're feeling. When they entered, Makoto was surprised to see that it looked like a completely regular looking entrance ceremony.**

 **"Oh. It really does look like an entrance ceremony…." Makoto said in surprise.**

"This is making it even more creepy." Junko said 'nervously'. "This looks exactly like the entrance ceremony we had."

"Our future selves don't know that, however." Sakura pointed out. "Still, this is a bit bizarre, no matter how we look at it."

"A bit bizarre is an understatement." Leon groaned.

 **"See? Told ya!" Hiro boasted. "It's a totally normal entrance ceremony."**

 _ **'He's right.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'But in a way, that just emphasized how completely NOT normal this situation is.'**_

 **Then a cheerful voice broke through. "Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let's get things rolling!" As soon as that statement was finished, the scene changed.**

Everyone tensed up. Are they going to see who's the mastermind behind all of this?

 **The camera lowered down from the ceiling to behind the group of Ultimates. When the camera was right behind the students, it zoomed in to the podium on the stage and suddenly, a bear hopped onto it.**

Several eyes widened at the sight of the bear. "What the hell?!" Leon exclaimed in shock. "That's the same damn bear from the beginning! The one that killed the headmaster!"

"But why is it here?" Chihiro asked. "Is it involved with what's happening?"

Byakuya sighed. "The one who killed the headmaster and the one who kidnapped us are one of the same." Byakuya said. "Of course, that should've been obvious to us. The mastermind is most likely using that bear to talk to the students, so we won't know who did this."

"But why do they need to conceal their identity?" Junko asked, playing the part of ignorance.

"Most likely to make sure we don't know who's behind it, in case their plan goes wrong." Kyoko suggested. "Or it's to keep themselves protected. After all, we have several people in there that are capable of fighting."

 **Chihiro was the first to speak. "Huh? A….teddy bear?"**

 **To the group's surprise, the bear spoke back. "I'm not a teddy bear!" It told them. "I….am….Monokuma! And I'm this school's headmaster! Nice to meet you all!"**

That proclamation shocked everyone. "Wait, is that bear proclaiming that it's the headmaster?" Hina questioned in shock. "What the heck?"

"And it can talk?!" Hifumi cried out in shock and terror.

Byakuya sighed. "Yes, it can't talk, but more importantly, we can see the reason why the headmaster was killed." Byakuya said to everyone. "It's to take control of the school."

Everyone recoiled at his statement. "The fuck? Why does it want to take control?" Mondo asked in confusion. "And does this mean they killed the entire school staff as well?"

"We don't have any proof of that, but it seems likely." Kyoko said in musing.

"Are you sure that the principal is actually dead?" Hiro asked. "Maybe that's just part of the prank."

Everyone ignored Hiro. None of them felt like explaining to him how that would be impossible. "So, instead of just getting answers, we end up getting more questions as well." Celestia sighed. "This is very troubling."

"T-This is just the beginning." Toko said, keeping in her stuttering a little. "A m-mystery at that, from the l-looks of it. A good mystery never reveals all it's cards in the beginning."

"Could you not treat this as some type of show please?" Leon groaned. "We're watching our reality here!"

Makoto, ever the optimist, spoke up. "Well, there is one thing we'll find out soon." Makoto stated to everyone. "If the mastermind set up something so they can communicate to us, then they must want to tell us at least part of our situation."

Several of the students thought on Makoto's words. While some were not sure that they'll get all the answers from that bear, they'll at least get a few parts. Knowing that, their spirits had temporarily recovered, earning a few smiles. They'll be able to learn of their future situation better, about why they were trapped in the old school building of Hope's Peak.

Although, their smiles will soon be wiped off their faces once they find out the reason.

 **And that's the end. Sorry if the chapter isn't as long as the last two, and if you're disappointed at not being to see their reaction to Monokuma telling them to kill each other, but I felt like this would be a good stopping point. Next one will definitely have Monokuma explaining their situation, and what he wants them to do.**

 **Also, if you want argue for or against having an opening, you can. Just make sure to give a good enough reason, other than you want it to happen. I'll make my decision based on arguments that's carried out. But make sure to review how the chapter is as well. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	7. Watching Prologue: Welcome to Despair P6

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I've been thinking hard about whether or not to do the opening. So, after much thinking and rereading all of the arguments, I decided to try and do the game opening. The reason is because it shows how serious this is going to be, compared to the anime opening.**

 **But there will be a few alterations to it. First off, the scenes where the show Leon getting executed, I'll make it where they can't tell who's getting executed (Like maybe they only see a shadow or very brief appearance). And second, when the pictures of the characters are shown, it'll be the pictures from the anime opening (Mainly because I like those better).**

 **So, I hope everyone is okay with that. I doubt the game opening it would take the seriousness of the watching the future series, much. But if I can't put the opening into words, I might just make a big implication that they watch the opening next chapter. So, with that, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 06: Watching the Prologue: Welcome to Despair Pt 6

 **"Wh-? Waaaaaah! That teddy bear can talk!" Hifumi cried out in shock.**

 **"Calm down." Taka said, though, he's just as surprised. "I'm sure there's just a speaker inside it."**

 **The bear, now known as Monokuma, spoke up angrily. "I told you already, I'm not a teddy bear!" He then jump off the desk and stared directly at them. "I'm Monokuma! And I'm your headmaster!"**

 **"Waaaaah! It moved!" Hifumi cried out.**

"Are you going to react to every little thing dude?" Leon asked in annoyance. "Your future self need to calm down!"

"This is all so surprising!" Hifumi defended himself. "Of course I would react like that!"

 **"Seriously man, calm down!" Mondo exclaimed. "It's probably just a remote control toy or somethin'."**

 **That depressed Monokuma. "How dare you compare me to a child's plaything! You've cut me deep. Deeper than Mariana's Trench." He quickly got out of his depression. "My remote control system is so complex, even the folks at NASA can't recreate or even comprehend it!"**

"Really?" Chihiro's curiosity spiked at the information given to them. "Is his control really that advanced than those of NASA? It's a bold claim to be made."

"I doubt we would be able to see the controls any time soon, so it will remain a mystery for right now." Byakuya said.

 **"Ah, but don't make me say stuff that might destroy NASA's dreams. I just couldn't BEAR that!" Monokuma said.**

"Bear that? Really?" Leon groaned. "He had to make a pun?"

"A very bad one at that." Celestia stated.

 **"'Bear' that? Really?" Celestia questioned. "You are….unfortunate."**

 **"Now then, moving on! We really must hurry and get started." Monokuma continued, not making anymore bear puns.**

 **Junko commented on that. "Giving up already? No other stupid bear puns?" She questioned.**

 **"Quiet down now, quiet down." The bear said, ignoring Junko. "Ah, okay so….!"**

 **"He has abandon the gag." Sakura deadpanned.**

"S-Seriously? A-At least stick t-to s-something for a while, b-before abandoning it." Toko said in annoyance. "I-I hate it, w-when p-people do that."

"On the bright side, we won't be hearing anymore bear puns." Leon countered. "That would've been even more annoying."

 **"Everyone, stand at attention and bow! And….good morning!" Monokuma stated.**

 **Doing exactly as Monokuma said, Taka responded back. "Good morning!"**

Everyone gave Taka a weird look. "Should've expected him to do something like that." Celestia commented. "Even in the situation our future selves are in."

"It's important to respect our authority figures!" Taka stated firmly.

Mondo rubbed his forehead. "Bro, that bear probably kidnapped us. I don't think that's an authority figure we should respect."

The Moral Compass had no rebuttal against that.

 **"Y-You don't have to s-say it back…." Toko told Taka in annoyance.**

 **"Now then," Monokuma spoke up once again. "Let us commence with a most noteworthy and memorable entrance ceremony! First, let's talk a bit about what your school here will be like."**

"Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?" Makoto asked randomly as nervousness slowly started creeping into him.

"I think we're about to see." Was Kyoko's response to that question.

 **"Now, ah, make no mistake - you few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world." Monokuma began explaining. "And to protect such splendid hope…."**

 **That's when he dropped the bomb. "You will all live a communal life together solely within the confines of this school. Everyone will in harmony here, and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school!"**

Silence. That was the response to Monokuma's statement. "What….?" Chihiro spoke, completely stunned.

"What the hell does he mean by that?" Mondo asked, confusion written all over his face.

"If it is what some of us think it is….this will be most troubling." Celestia stated.

 ** _'...Huh?'_ Was Makoto's thought process with what Monokuma stated.**

 **"Ah, now then….regarding the end date for this communal life….." Another bomb then got dropped. "There isn't one! In other words, you'll all be here until the day you die! Such is the school life you've been assigned."**

That broke everyone out of their stupor. "U-Until the d-day we die?" Toko questioned. "H-He t-turned Hope's Peak….?"

"...Into a prison?" Taka finished off, shock and horror written all over his face.

"That's their plan?" Byakuya questioned. "Just to keep us confined in the school?" He then shook his head. "No. I doubt that's the entirety of their plan."

"If that was it, then there's no reason to wipe away our memories." Kyoko agreed with the heir. "Unless it's to make Hope's Peak seem more dangerous. And there's a very small possibility there."

 **"Wh-What did he just say? Until the day we d-die?" Toko stuttered out in shock.**

 **"Oh, but fear not!" Monokuma continued. "We have quite an abundant budget, so you won't lack for all the common conveniences."**

 **"That's the least of our worries right now!" Sayaka exclaimed.**

"Yeah!" Sayaka agreed with her future selves. "No one would be thinking about common conveniences in that situation!"

"That is quite correct." Celestia agreed with the pop sensation. Her next sentence doesn't, however. "We would think about it after however, if we were to stay there for a while."

It was Celeste's turn to receive a round of weird looks from everyone. "...That's Celeste for you." Makoto sighed.

 **"Yeah, what the hell?" Junko cut in angrily. "You're saying I have to live here forever? You're screwing with us, right?"**

 **"No, I am not screwing with you!" Monokuma denied. "I am no liar, of that you can be 100% sure. Ah, and just for your information….you're completely cut off from the outside world. So you don't have to worry about that dirty dirty land beyond these walls ever again!"**

"C-Cut off?!" Sayaka exclaimed, horrified at the thought of it. Cut off from her family, her friends….her dreams? "No! No, that can't be true!"

Makoto gritted his teeth. He can see that this part is affecting Sayaka a lot, and he doesn't want to make it worse, but he can't let her go towards the denial. "But there's proof of that." Makoto said reluctantly. "The metal plates on the windows, and the metal hatch in front of the main entrance. I bet that's used to keep us in."

"That would be the most accurate conclusion." Byakuya said in agreement. "It may also be used to keep others out."

That hit Sayaka hard. The thought of losing her family, friends, and her dreams, especially her dreams….just the thought of it made her scared. Made her shiver in fear.

Makoto, knowing how's Sayaka is currently feeling right, instinctively grabbed her hand. She clutched it tightly in response, holding onto Makoto like he's an anchor.

 **"Cut off?" Makoto repeated. He then remembered the metal plates on the windows. "So all those metal plates all over the school is there to keep us trapped in here?"**

 **Monokuma nodded. "That's exactly what they're there for." He confirmed. "No matter how much you may yell and scream for help….help will never come. So with all that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!"**

"He's acting like we're okay with this!" Leon exclaimed. "But we're not! We're seriously not!"

"If this is some kind of sick joke it ain't funny! Not at all!" Mondo growled.

 **"Come on, what the hell is this?" Leon questioned, his face pale. "I don't care if the school or whoever else is behind it all, this is just a really bad joke."**

 **"Yeah! Cut this shit out!" Mondo growled. "It isn't funny anymore!"**

"If only it was a joke." Byakuya sighed. "I doubt anyone would go as far as to take our memories away just to make a joke."

"Relax. I'm sure they'll give us back our memories back once the prank is over." Hiro said, very laidback at this. Again, everyone ignored him, despite some wanting to punch him.

 **"You keep saying this is a lie, or a joke. A bunch of skeptics, all of you." Monokuma said in slight annoyance. "But I guess it can't be helped, huh? You all grew up in an age where you're taught to doubt your neighbor."**

 **"Well, you'll have plenty of time to find out whether or not what I say is true." Monokuma continued. "And when that time come, you'll see with your own eyeballs that I speak the undeniable truth."**

 **"Having to live here forever would be….quite the problem." Celestia stated, looking down.**

"I think it would be way more than 'quite the problem'." Mukuro said. "Way more."

 **"Come now. What's the matter with all of you?" Monokuma questioned. "You all decided of your own free will to attend Hope's Peak Academy, didn't you? And now, before the entrance ceremony is even finished, you've already decided you want to leave?"**

"Damn right we do!" Mondo roared. "We signed up to join a school, not a prison!"

"None of us signed up for memory loss or to live at Hope's Peak forever!" Taka agreed with his best friend.

"How would they be able to do that anyway?" Chihiro pondered. "Hope's Peak isn't exactly an unknown place, and people would want us to be rescued, along with the mastermind captured."

"Well, unless they have very big guns." Junko said out loud in 'wonder'. "That would probably keep more than a few away from Hope's Peak."

Makoto grew a bit pale at the thought. "Let's not think about that possibility please." Makoto suggested weakly. He'd rather not think about the possibility of people dying just to try and rescue them.

 **"Oh, but you know," Monokuma continued. "I guess I forget to mention one thing. There is one way for you to leave the school."**

That got everyone's full attention.

"R-Really?"

"It's not fucking with us?"

"Is there a way for him to let us go?"

While the others are beginning to feel relieved to hear a way for their future selves to get out, Makoto, Kyoko, Byakuya, Mukuro, and Junko didn't believe it. The first three because they have their suspicion on that 'one way'. The last two because they know what the way out really is.

"R-Really?" Toko asked.

 **The bear than made a 'check me out' pose. "As headmaster, I've crafted a special clause for those of you who would like to leave! I call it….the Graduation Clause!"**

 **"Now, let me tell you about this fun little rule." Monokuma started to explain. "As I mentioned, in order to maintain an environment of harmony here, we rely on a communal lifestyle. And if someone were to disrupt that harmony, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school. That, my students, is the Graduation Clause!"**

Their relief was soon gone, and was replaced with slight apprehension, when they heard the 'disrupt the harmony' part. "Disrupt the harmony?" Sayaka repeated nervously. "What does he mean by that?"

"Something tells me that this Graduation Clause isn't as innocent as it sounds." Kyoko said with narrowed eyes.

 **"What do you mean by 'disrupt the harmony'?" Byakuya asked suspiciously.**

 **The bear covered it's mouth, letting out evil giggles. "Well, you know," He then dropped the biggest and final bomb. "If one person were to murder one another."**

Nearly the everyone felt their blood run cold at this. Eyes got wide, faces were pale, and jaws were hanging left and right. Even Byakuya felt a chill down his spine at Monokuma's Graduation Clause.

"M-Murder!?" Makoto spoke out in horror.

"He expects us to kill each other?" Hina cried out, covering her mouth. Her face is white as a sheet.

"Are you kidding me?" Leon rhetorically asked, pale as well. "He's gotta be joking, right?"

"This is far from a joke." Sakura said gravely.

"So that's what the Graduation Clause is." Kyoko stated, grimacing. "And that's its goal. It wants us to kill each other."

"But why?" Sayaka questioned in distress. "What would anyone gain from doing that?"

"What would a psychotic murderer gain from killing dozens of people?" Byakuya retorted. His voice was sounding grave. "Nothing but the thrill of killing. That's most likely the mastermind's reason for doing, in theory at least. For fun."

 **"M-Murder!?" Makoto cried out in shock and horror.**

 **"Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter" Monokuma listed off. "You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you. Give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible!"**

More chills went down their spines. "D-Does he r-really e-expect us to k-kill?" Toko stuttered out.

"That fucker is crazy!" Mondo growled. "We wouldn't want to kill each other!"

Before anything thing else could be said, they suddenly heard Hiro chuckling. They all turned to the Ultimate Clairvoyant because of it. "Wow, this is a really good prank. It's scaring a lot of our future selves."

"You still think this a prank?!" Several screamed in disbelief. After what they're seeing, there's no way that any of them think this is some kind of prank. At least not to the extent Hiro is believing.

 **Monokuma giggled once again. "I bet that got your brain juices flowing! Beats the heck out of a human catching a salmon, huh? Like I said before, you guys are the hope of the world. But you know, taking that hope and seeing it get murdered creates a darkened shadow of despair. And I just find that so….darn….exciting!" He yelled the last part out.**

"This is crazy!" Leon exclaimed. "This damn bear is crazy! How did we end up in this situation?!"

"You think anyone here knows the answer to that question?" Junko retorted. On the outside, she's really just putting on the facade as being as shocked and horrified just like the others. But really, she's mentally laughing in glee at all the despair around the room.

Seeing all of them horrified and distressed at the fact that the only way Monokuma would let them out is to kill each other, it's bringing so much pleasure to Junko. So much that she hasn't even registered the consequences about this yet.

 **"What the hell are you talking about?!" Leon exclaimed. "To kill each other is….It's….!"**

 **"To kill each other is to kill each other!" Monokuma stated simply. "I'm sure there's a dictionary here somewhere if you need it."**

"He's acting like we should have no problem comprehending what he's telling us." Mondo growled. "Like we would be okay killing each other!"

"But it's inhumane!" Makoto stated. "There's no way anyone here would agree to kill anybody."

 _'Not right now, at least!'_ Junko sang in her head. Once she gets her motives up and running, the killings will definitely begin!

 **"We know what it means, that's not the problem!" Hina retorted back at the bear. "Why do we have to kill each other?!"**

 **"Yeah!" Hifumi shouted in agreement. "Stop blabbering on with all this nonsense! Just let us go home already!"**

"You tell it future me!" Hifumi shouted in agreement with his future self.

 **The bear was silent for a moment. But then it spoke. "...Blabbering?" He repeated. Suddenly, the screen closed up onto the bear's face, it's robotic red eye glowing.**

Several jumped at the close up. Hifumi cried out and leaped behind the couch in fear. "He's going to kill me!" He cried out in fear.

"R-Relax." Taka said, calming down his heartbeat. "I don't think Monokuma is going to kill you for this."

"Y-Yeah. I-It's too soon for a-a d-death to happen." Toko stated. Then she muttered to herself. "Although I wouldn't mind if you were killed off in the beginning."

"Again, can you not treat this like this is a story?" Leon groaned.

 **"Blabbering, blabbering, what do you mean by blabbering?! Stop blabbering on about blabbering on!" Monokuma stated angrily. The scene then moved away from Monokuma's face, though you can still see that it's angry.**

 **"You guys just don't get it, do you?" Monokuma rhetorically asked. "'Let us go, let us go!' You keep on saying the same thing over and over and over and over! Let me say this to you clearly. From this moment on, this school is you home, your life, your world. Got it?"**

 **"And you can kill as much as you want to kill!" The bear said more eagerly. "So go ahead, go on a kill-kill-killing spree!"**

Many felt disturbed at the last part, this bear was clearly sadistic. Byakuya clenched his teeth in anger. "The mastermind is going to rue the day he messed with the Togami family!" He declared in anger.

"He's going to regret messing with the lot of us!" Mondo corrected, cracking his knuckles. "Once we find out who's this mastermind, I'm going to crack open his skull!"

"But what if the person is a girl?" Chihiro asked. Mondo faltered at that.

"...I'm sure others are going to deal with that." Mondo answered, looking away.

 **Several looked disturbed at what the bear is saying. Some like Chihiro are close to tears. Hiro, however, doesn't seem fazed at all. "Alright, come on….How long are you gonna keep this up?" Hiro asked Monokuma.**

 **"Eh?" Was the response from the bear.**

 **"You got us, okay? You scared the hell out of us." Hiro said to it. "So you can go ahead and reveal the trick now."**

 **"Reveal the trick?" Monokuma repeated in confusion.**

 **"Yeah, cuz I mean….Y'know, this is all some kinda trick and all, right?" Hiro questioned. "So uh, like…."**

Everyone facepalmed or made a face of annoyance or disbelief at Hiro's idiocy. Possibly a mixture of both emotions for some.

Hiro, however, laughed. "Man, they're doing really good, playing the bad guy." He commented. "Everyone is believing the entire thing."

Celeste decide to speak up. "Hiro?"

"Yes?" Hiro responded back. When he turned towards her, he saw a dark aura surrounding her, with a sweet smile plastered on her face.

"Shut. Up."

Hiro gulped. "G-Got it!"

 **Several sighed in relief at that. They couldn't stand more of Hiro's stupidity. Mondo himself was close to knocking out the idiot.**

 **"Dude, shut the hell up and move out the way." Mondo stated in annoyance. He shoved Hiro away and marched towards Monokuma, standing in front of the bear. When he spoke, his voice began to shake like thunder. "Listen up, asshole! This shit's gone too far! What the hell kinda joke IS this?!"**

"Why do you guys keep saying this is a joke?" Junko asked randomly. "It's not as bad as what Hiro is doing or anything, but we should've known by now that this isn't a joke."

"It's human nature to not fully believe the worst possibility at first." Makoto sighed. Though he had to admit, there's a line between disbelief, denial, and just plain stupidity. Hiro is in the line of plain stupidity.

 **"Joke? What, you mean like your hair?" Monokuma casually insulted the biker.**

"What the fuck did it just say?!" Mondo roared, standing up. "I don't care if that thing is robotic or stuffed, when I get my hands on it, I'll rip it to shred!"

Immediately, Taka and Chihiro grabbed onto Mondo's shoulder. "Mondo, calm down!" Taka stated firmly. "Control your anger!"

"Please take some deep breaths." Chihiro pleaded quietly. Mondo growled before doing what Chihiro say and taking some deep breaths. Slowly, he sat back down.

A few sighed in relief. That's one violent reaction thwarted.

 **That set the biker off. "FUUUUUUUU-" With a sudden boom, Mondo launched himself off from where he was standing and went straight towards Monokuma. Locking onto his target, he landed and grabbed the bear, lifting it up.**

 **"Gotcha, you little piece of shit!" Mondo stated angrily. "I dunno if you're a toy or a stuffed animal or whatever the hell! Either way, I'm gonna rip you to fuckin shreds!"**

The scene caused some of them to cheer, wanting to see Mondo rip Monokuma to shreds. "Make it suffer Mondo!" Hina whooped. Sakura shook her head at her friend, though she didn't blame her acting this way.

"Gladly!" Mondo exclaimed happily, despite not being the one to do it.

 **"Waah!" Monokuma yelped in surprise, flailing his arms. "Violence against the headmaster is in violation of the school regulations!"**

"You think we would follow the rules when you're trying to get us to kill each other?" Leon questioned rhetorically. "Yeah right. Fat chance of that happening."

"The mastermind did a smart move however, communicating with us through Monokuma." Byakuya sighed.

Makoto nodded in agreement. "Otherwise, Mondo or Sakura would've subdued them by now."

"Damn right I fucking would've!"

"I would not let our kidnapper escape, that is certain."

 **"Shut the fuck up!" Mondo shouted back. "Let me outta here, or I swear to Christ…."**

 **Monokuma then went limp, suddenly starting to beep. "What, no smartass comeback this time?!" Mondo grinned. The beeping continued, going faster, annoying and angering Mondo further. "Stop that goddamn beeping and SAY SOMETHING!"**

Many were wondering what that beeping noise is. A second later, Kyoko and Mukuro shared a moment of realization. "It's a bomb!"

"Wait, what?" Was the response from the group to Mukuro's statement.

"A bomb!" Kyoko repeated what Mukuro said urgently, causing several eyes to widen. Especially Mondo's. "He needs to get rid of it!"

Kyoko's eyes widened in realization. "Watch out! Get rid of it!"

 **"Huh….?" Was Mondo's response as the beeping got faster.**

 **"Hurry up and throw it!"**

 **Stunned by the fierceness in her words, Mondo silently did as he was told and threw it. And as soon as he did…..**

 ***BOOM***

 **Monokuma exploded.**

That shook everyone up even further. Despite Mukuro's and Kyoko's warning, they couldn't help but feel shocked at what had transpired. "That son of a bitch!" Mondo breathed out in shock. "It really tried to kill me!"

"Bro almost got blown up!" Taka exclaimed, feeling his heart rate go up. "That was too close!"

"Thank god that Kyoko warned him." Makoto said in relief.

 **Everyone's eyes widened in shock. "The hell?!" Mondo exclaimed in shock. "Th-That sure as shit wasn't a joke. It blew the hell up!"**

"Now our future selves know for sure that this isn't a joke." Celeste stated.

"No, not at joke! This has gone far from the line of joking!" declared Hifumi, who got back on the couch some time ago and now biting his fingernails in fear.

 **"But you know," Chihiro spoke up. "This means that the teddy bear's been destroyed, right?"**

Several of the students immediately latched onto that. "She's right." Sayaka said, in a bit of relief. "Which means we might not have to worry about it anymore."

"And we can find a way out without any interruptions!" Leon grinned.

Byakuya (Along with a few others), however, did not believe that that was the end of Monokuma. He sighed. "Idiots. Do you really think that the bear's self destruction would just be the end of it?"

 **That hope was soon knocked down when they heard a very familiar voice. "I told you, I'm not a teddy bear! I'm Monokuma!"**

 **And soon enough, another Monokuma bear appeared.**

That wiped the grin off of Leon's face. "There's a spare?!"

"There's a spare." Junko groaned. The relief on Sayaka's was also wiped away quickly, and she clutched Makoto's hand even tighter.

"What did I tell you?" Byakuya sighed. "I knew this wouldn't be the end of it."

 **Leon immediately turned pale. "Uwah! There's anyone one?"**

 **"You son of a bitch!" Mondo growled, looking very blue right now. "You seriously tried to kill me just now!"**

 **"Well, yes. I was serious about trying to kill you." Monokuma stated, his red eye glowing angrily and his claws out. "You did violate one of the school regulations, after all."**

"And that gives you the excuse to kill someone?!" Taka exclaimed. "That isn't how school regulations works at all!"

"Not to mention they were provoking us to attack." Chihiro said softly. "They should've known that we would've reacted badly to the whole situation."

"They did. And that why they set the trap there, as well as the school regulation." Byakuya stated. "I doubt those machines are cheap, so he needs to make sure the students don't end up destroying all of them."

 **"I'll let you off with a warning this time, but you'd better be careful from now on." Monokuma warned him. "Any naughty boy or girl who violates my rules won't get off with just a little swat on the butt."**

 **"H-Hey," Junko spoke up hesitantly. "So does this mean there's like, a bunch more of you around somewhere?"**

 **"Monokumas have been placed all throughout the school, yes." The bear confirmed. "Plus, don't forget about the surveillance cameras installed everywhere."**

"So the mastermind will be spying on us everywhere around the school?" Makoto questioned.

"That means we can't try to find a way to escape, or plan, without the cameras watching." Mukuro sighed. "We would be on the mastermind's watch at all times."

 **"And if you're caught breaking any rules, well," Monokuma continued explaining. "You all just saw what happened, right?" He giggled evilly once more. "And I won't be so forgiving with my punishment next time. So don't let it happen again!"**

 **"Th-That's not even punishment. That's just….wrong…." Hina stated, looking very disturbed.**

"Agreed future me." The present Hina said, looking as disturbed as her future self.

"I think the term you're looking for is murder." Celeste stated with a straight face. "It would be murder."

 **"Now then, lastly," Monokuma changed the subject. "To commemorate your joyous entry into our school, I have a little something for you." He then brought up a stack of electronic handbooks from under the desk, and held one up. "This is our official student handbook! Pretty cool, huh?"**

"Are those our handbooks?" Hifumi asked, trying to get his mind off the bad stuff for a bit.

"Maybe." Chihiro hummed, thinking about it. "It's extremely difficult to recreate those handbooks. You have to be a master in programming to achieve it."

 **"As you can see, it's fully digital." Monokuma explained. "So naturally, we call'd it….the e-Handbook!"**

 **Silence was met with his statement. "Ahem. Yes, well, moving on," Monokuma said awkwardly. "This handbook is absolutely vital to a healthy school life, so don't lose it!**

 **As he spoke, he started passing the handbooks to the students. "When you start it up, it will display your name. Always make sure you have the right one! Now, this is not your everyday notebook. It has so many more uses than that!"**

 **"Also, it's completely waterproof." Monokuma continued, after finishing passing out the handbooks. "Splash it, wash it, drown it, it'll keep on ticking! And thanks to its space-age design, it can withstand an impact force of up to ten tons. Very resistant!"**

"Yeah, those things don't crack easy that's for sure." Mondo agreed, though he sounds quiet. "Makes me wonder what the hell kind of stuff it's made of."

 **"It contains all of our school regulations, so make sure you review them thoroughly!" Monokuma told them. "You'll hear me say this a lot, but any violation of school regulations will not be tolerated. Rules restrict, yes, but they also protect. Society, for example, would be utter chaos without laws. The same thing applies here! Which is why it's crucial we have strict punishments in place for violators!"**

"Is it seriously comparing society to this sick game he's playing?" Leon questioned, holding his head. "Is it seriously doing that?"

"Yes, it is Leon." Makoto confirmed, just as confused and disturbed.

 **"Okay, well…..that brings our entrance ceremony to a close!" Monokuma stated loudly. "Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life! And….see ya!" With that, he disappeared, leaving the group of Ultimates into a state of shock.**

 **At first, everyone was silent. Then, Taka spoke. "So guys," He began hesitantly. "How would you define what we just experienced?"**

 **"How….? Why….?" Leon slowly spoke up. "I don't understand any of this…."**

"Here's a few words." Junko stated. She started listing them off her finger. "Dreadful, hopeless, shocking, depressing-"

"Thank you Junko, we get it." Makoto interrupted, not wanting to hear more. He can tell that the rest of his friends were just as shocked and horrified as he was at what they've seen.

 **"We have to l-live here forever….? Or….k-kill?" Toko questioned, quickly panicking. "Wh-What….? What just happened?!"**

 **"Everyone, we need to calm down." Kyoko stated calmly, but firmly. "First, let's just take a second to summarize everything we have just heard."**

Makoto shook his head. "I don't know how you do it, but your ability to stay calm in situation like these is amazing." Makoto complimented.

Despite the situation they're watching, Kyoko felt herself blush again and turned away. "My family had always taught me to stay calm in any situation, so it's no big deal."

 **"Based on what Monokuma said, we essentially have two choices." She started. "Choice number one is that we stay here, living a 'communal life' together until the day we die. And the other choice is…."**

 **Celeste then spoke up and continued for Kyoko. "If we want to get out of here alive, we have to kill someone. Right?"**

 **"But….killing someone," Chihiro struggled to get out, close to tears. "That's…."**

"Horrible." The present Chihiro finished, close to tears as well.

 **"We were abducted out of nowhere and stuffed into this place meant to look like a school." Hifumi stated fearfully. "And now we're supposed to start killing each other? This is," He then began to freak out. "This is….this is just….! What is this?!"**

 **"A lie, is what it is." Taka said in denial. "All these ridiculous things we've heard, this has to be all fake!"**

"The stuff we're hearing definitely sounds like something from a game or anime." Makoto muttered in agreement.

"But unfortunately, this is a possible future reality." Sakura said gravely.

"But it doesn't matter if it's real or not to our future selves." Byakuya stated. Before anyone could ask what he meant, he spoke once again. "Don't ask. I'm sure my other will say it."

 **Byakuya then spoke up. "Right now it doesn't really matter if it's real or fake. What matter is," He says this next question to everyone. "Is there anyone here who's seriously considering all this?"**

 **To that, nobody had a response. Keeping quieting himself, Makoto turned to look at the others. Everyone was looking at one another, trying to gauge each other's reaction. The suspicion and hostility was clear.**

 **"And that's when it hit me." The narrator Makoto spoke while the scene played out. "I realized the true terror hidden within the rules Monokuma had laid out. 'You must kill someone if you want to leave.' Those words had planted vicious thoughts deep within each of us. Each of us became suspicious of everyone else. We were forced to wonder," The scene then expanded to show everyone gathered looking at each other. "'Is somebody going to betray us?'"**

"Wait, we're actually suspicious of each other?" Hina said in disbelief. "But we shouldn't be!"

"It's a natural response." Byakuya responded back calmly. "Keep in mind that our time with each other, our time at Hope's Peak, were wiped away. Because of that, we see each other as nothing but strangers."

"And because we don't know each other, we can't help but wonder if someone's going to betray us." Makoto said with a grimace.

"That must be one of the reasons, if not the only one, as to why the mastermind took away our memories." Kyoko mused. "So that the trust we had built with each other will be gone, and the chances of us killing increases."

Hina paled. "So….there's a chance that one of us might kill?"

"If the desire to get out doesn't inspire us to, the suspicion and hostility surrounding the area will cause one of us to do it." Mukuro said quietly. And if that doesn't work, Junko will probably use ways to motivate them, with her disguised future self making sure everything is going according to plan.

Makoto started shaking a little at the thought. He cared for each and every one of his friends. The thought of them killing each other is….

Makoto shook his head. He shouldn't doubt his friends. Despite their future selves' memory losses, he knew what kind of people they were. While he won't be blind to the suspicion and hostility, as well as the possibility of it happening, he won't lose faith in his friends.

 **The scene then went black. "And that was how my school life began." The narrator continued. "The school, that had come out of nowhere to raise my hopes high, is not a school of hope. It's…."**

 **"...a school of despair."**

That shook several of the students hard, scared of whatever possibilities the future had for them. They felt shocked at the possibility of this happening, anger at the mastermind behind all of this, and finally, fear at the possibility of one of them killing and/or one of them dying.

Junko was watching all of this, taking pleasure in their despair. She can taste it all, their horror and fear, about this. This is like ambrosia for her!

"Hey. Spirit," Hina spoke up weakly, turning to the host of the whole thing. "None of us are going be killed here, right? None of us are going to kill, right?" Spirit didn't answer the girl, scaring Hina further. "Right?!"

Instead, he pointed at the screen. "Just keep watching. You can find out the answer with this."

The TV suddenly started playing music, and a few seconds later, another scene started playing….

 **And that's the end. I hope all of you enjoyed this very long chapter. This is probably my longest one yet. The next chapter, I'm gonna try putting the opening in words. If I can't, I'll just have it implicated that the class watched it. If you have any advice for that, I'll be glad to hear it.**

 **Also, in the next chapter, I most likely have the class have a small break so they can process and talk to each other about what they've seen. If you have any ideas for that, I'll listen to those as wells. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **P.S. If you're wondering when Junko going to realize that watching this would severely cripple, if not destroy, her entire plan, it would be on the next chapter. She's currently taking too much pleasure in her classmate's despair.**


	8. Break Chapter 0

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Before we begin, I would like to talk about some things. First off, when learning more about Junko, I found out she has a person she loves. Her childhood friend, Matsuda. Now knowing this information, I'm thinking about not having Junko have feelings for Makoto. But I have a feeling if Makoto were to somehow convince Junko in believing in hope, she would gain some feelings for him. What are you guys opinions? Also, why didn't anyone mentioned this before?**

 **Also, I do plan on putting in the free time with the characters. But should I put every free time event in it or just some of them? Are there only some important conversations or are all of them important? Let me know on the reviews, or maybe a PM if you feel the need.**

 **So, with those things out of the way, I hope you enjoy.**

 **P.S. For those who think I need a beta-reader, don't worry, I'm going to be getting one soon. Hopefully, this one will be here for a long period.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 07: Break 1

"Was that….an opening?" Hifumi asked Spirit slowly. He, along with the others, are feeling various emotions about what they've seen.

After the prologue, music started playing and various scenes played out. A bullet piercing through the group, pictures of themselves, what looked like executions, and other bizarre scenarios.

The video lasted for a minute and thirty seconds, the usual time for most anime openings. "Yes, that was an opening." Spirit confirmed with a nod.

That got Mondo rising up from his seat and raising his fist at Spirit. "What the hell do you think this is, buddy? A stupid anime with us as the stars?"

Spirit shrugged, not minding the outburst. "I thought it would add a bit of flare to it." He said. "Besides, that opening has some importance to it."

"What would make a stupid opening so important?" Byakuya questioned with a raised eyebrow. "While I don't mind seeing myself on the throne, the rest was a waste of time."

Spirit crossed his arms. "I think some of you have reached a conclusion."

The host was proven correct when Kyoko spoke. "It's to show how serious our situation is, correct?" The detective deduced, staring at Spirit. "To make sure we know that all of us have some importance in this, and that our lives are going to be in danger. Am I right?"

Spirit nodded. "As expected from the Ultimate Detective."

"So," Hina spoke up, shaking a little. "Some of us are going to die? Going to be killed by each other?"

No one dared to answer her question. The information given to them, everything they've seen….it was all so overwhelming for them. Even Kyoko needed some time processing it all, though she didn't show it.

Makoto himself was frozen in shock, recalling the scene where his future self was briefly seen near the trash compactor. Does this mean that he's going to be killed in the future? Was that foreshadowing his death?

Hiro was wondering why everyone why everyone else was taking this so seriously. This is a prank, isn't it? No way all of this is real. And the opening was for them, to make sure they fall for it. Once the staff and anyone else watching get their laughs, they'll give their future selves their memories back. He's sure of it.

Mukuro is stunned. Despite knowing about the planned killing game and being a part of that plan, seeing Makoto about to be executed shocked her. She doubted that it was for killing someone, so he must have broken a rule or gotten on Junko's bad side.

She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, being careful not to show confliction on her face. She wished that she could get Makoto out of this, stop him from being involved. But unfortunately, Junko wants every one of her classmates to feel despair. And there's little chance of convincing her.

"I'll let you guys take a break." Spirit offered eventually. "So you can process everything." A few grateful nods were sent in his direction for his offer. "In the meantime, you can go to the game room during this. It's at the back."

"Wait, there's a game room?" Leon repeated, surprise enveloping the entire class.

Spirit nodded. "It has everything you need whenever you guys take breaks. A food court, if you're hungry. Games, mangas, and the latest magazines for entertainment. Bathrooms if you need to freshen up or anything else. And more."

That brought up the spirit of some of the students, and they started going to the game room. Leon, Sayaka, and Kyoko were about to follow everyone else when they noticed that Makoto has yet to move.

"Hey, Makoto?" Leon spoke up, looking at his friend in concern. "You okay man?" He poked at Makoto's shoulder, but received no response.

Sayaka instantly grew concerned, the others also stopping in their tracks to cast a look back towards Makoto. "Do you think it's because of that opening? Of….that part?"

"Most likely." Kyoko agreed, closing her eyes. She herself was trying to keep her mind off that fact as well. While she knew there's no avoiding the truth, she also knew not to take everything she saw in heart.

With that in mind, Kyoko went over and shook the boy, bringing him out of his stunned state. "Oh, Kyoko? What happened?"

"There's a game room near us." Kyoko said, hiding her concern for him. "We're all going to go have a look. Are you coming?"

Makoto blinked for a second before nodding. "Yeah, I am. Let's go." The boy slowly got up and walked to the game room, ignoring the worried stares of his friends.

Meanwhile, Junko is calming down from her despair high. While she still isn't showing her true feelings, she's mentally calming down so she can think rationally. And once she did, she realized something.

This could totally derail her entire plan. No doubt when one of them processed everything, they can see that they could use this to change the future. And if they somehow figure out she was the mastermind….her plans will be utterly destroyed.

(Game Room)

Once again, surprise was written over the entire class. But instead of pale and blue faces, they were ones of excitement and amazement.

Several food vendors for different kinds of food lined up one side of the room, arcade games and large TVs with other video games lined up the other. Stacks of books, magazines, and mangas circled a comfortable sitting area. It was definitely a place where they could relax.

"Damn. This place is awesome." Mondo said in awe.

"I think I wouldn't mind watching our future, if we can go here from time to time." Leon remarked as he looked around.

"This will give us some stress relief for what we would witness." Celeste agreed.

"Alright!" Taka spoke loudly. "Let our recreational time begin!" With some rolling their eyes, the group went to the food courts to get something to eat. It should be lunch by now, and they're hungry now.

Junko and Mukuro didn't go to the food court but instead, Junko led Mukuro to the bathroom. Meanwhile, after Makoto and Kyoko got their food, Kyoko led him to one of the empty tables to talk about the thing that was bothering her the most.

"So, what's bothering you Kyoko?" Makoto asked as they sat down. After seeing the game room, he momentarily forgot about the opening. "I've been noticing from time to time that you seem distressed. I especially noticed it when we saw you father get killed."

Kyoko looked away. "That's what's bothering me." She admitted. "I cut ties from my father. The only thing that made us family is our blood, nothing else. I don't have any kind of relationship with him. But," She closed her eyes, and Makoto could see the very slight bit of confliction on her face. "Whenever I think about that scene, seeing his skeleton….my heart tightens. It's difficult to even think about."

Makoto stayed silent, letting Kyoko continue. "And then there's what my father said to me before I went to class today." She brought in. "It was when I tried to inquire what the trip was about. When I was about to leave his office….he told me that he was sorry for leaving. That he regretted leaving after my mom died. And that he wanted a chance to reconnect, despite me saying that I would denounce any connection we had."

At first, the action had confused her, she wondered why he had said it. After seeing the beginning of 'Danganronpa', as the opening called it, she now understood the reason behind it. Spirit said that her father saw a brief glimpse, and his death must've been that brief glimpse.

Makoto continued to stay silent, waiting for anything else Kyoko had to say. When she didn't say anything else, he spoke. "Do you want my opinion or did you just let out your thoughts?"

Kyoko was silent for a moment speaking. "I would like your opinion." Kyoko admitted.

Makoto nodded. "Well, you say that you don't want anything to do with your father, right?" He asked. Kyoko nodded. "And sorry if I'm prying, but are you sure you're telling the truth?"

Kyoko was a bit surprised by his question. "Of course I am. I rarely ever lie to someone Makoto, you know that."

"I'm not asking if you're lying to me." He said calmly. "I'm asking if you're lying to yourself."

Kyoko's eyes widened at his response. "Lying to myself?" She repeated in disbelief. "But I have no reason to do that. We haven't seen in each other in years, so I shouldn't feel anything about him! Nothing but hate at the fact that his shadows followed my childhood!"

"Then let me ask you a few questions." Makoto suggested. "How did you feel when you saw him die on screen? How did you feel when the bear was laughing at his corpse? How do you feel at the thought of your father's possible death? And please, be honest, not just with me, but with yourself."

Kyoko was silent once again for a moment. She briefly thought about avoiding the question, but when she looked into Makoto's eyes, she saw the kindness and desire to help her. This caused her to search into how she felt. "I….I felt horrified. Felt my heart stricken at the site of my father's bones." Kyoko admitted, looking down. "When Monokuma laughed, I felt angry. Very angry. And the thought of him dying," Her hands clenched together as she spoke. "It hurts just thinking about that possibility."

Makoto smiled a little. He's glad Kyoko is being honest with herself. "If you didn't care about your father like you say, do you think it would affect you this badly?" Makoto rhetorically asked. "I know you Kyoko. You don't let most things affect you so badly. And you don't have the talent to lie or act like Celeste does. So if you're reacting this badly to the headmaster's possible death, then that means a part of you still care about your father."

Kyoko closed her eyes, and turned away. As much she wanted to counter those statements, she know in her heart that they're true. And Kyoko isn't one to argue when the evidence is right in front of her. But….

"Even if I do still care about him, does he care?" Kyoko spoke softly, showing a little more of her emotions. Makoto had an odd effect on people the more he got to know them. "He left me when my mother was dying, used her death as an excuse to pursue a different path, and never considered my feelings. So what makes you think he cares?"

Makoto was a bit surprised to see Kyoko saying these things. She always said that she never felt bitter at the fact that her father left her with her grandfather and saying that she was glad that that had happened. But now, Makoto could see that a part of Kyoko did feel angry that her father left.

Without saying a word, Makoto put a hand over Kyoko's gloved hands, getting her out of her thoughts and her attention to Makoto. The gesture and his smile caused her to blush. "I can't say I know the headmaster personally, but I'm sure that he's a good man. He cares for all of his students at Hope's Peak, and I have no doubt he cared about you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have apologized or asked for a chance to reconnect."

"But if that doesn't convince you, trying talking to him out of school." Makoto continued. "Take his offer to reconnect and see where that leads. Then you can see if he's serious or not."

Kyoko closed her eyes, thinking about his suggestion. Finally, she re-opened her eyes and answered. "I'll take your words into consideration. But not right now. After all, we still have to watch the rest of our future."

Makoto smiled, glad he made a bit of progress. Though he could tell that Kyoko still had some doubts about his opinion on the headmaster, he's glad that she didn't deny the fact that there may be a part of her that still cared for her dad.

Kyoko then noticed their hands were still connected, and felt her face slowly burn up. "You can let go now." Makoto blinked before noticing that his hand was still on top of hers. He blushed, and quickly move his hand away.

"S-Sorry Kyoko." Makoto stammered. "I-I didn't know my hand was on yours, and-"

"It's fine Makoto." Kyoko interrupted, smiling slightly at his stammering apology. It's really cute. "Let just eat so we can get back." Makoto silently nodded as the two started chowing down on their food.

(With Junko and Mukuro)

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Mukuro asked her sister, once the two of them got into the bathroom.

Junko jump up and sat on the edge of the sink. "There's a big problem sis." Junko stated. "Can you guess what that problem is?"

It didn't take long for Mukuro to figure out what Junko means. "You think watching this future might sever the plan for creating a world of despair?" Mukuro deduced.

Junko nodded. "That Spirit guy says that watching this will be beneficial to the class." She then put a pair of glasses on, and got into 'teacher mode'. "If it means what I think it means, it means that the class might find out that we're the masterminds. And that would sever, if not, destroy our plan."

She then got into rockstar mode. "Do you think you can go rambo on this guy and stop this entire thing?"

Mukuro shook his head. "You saw what he could do. We don't know his full capabilities, and if we fail to kill him, we would be revealed early."

"Ugh! Such a hopeless sister!" Junko then jump off the counter and proceeded to punch and kick sister. Strangely, Mukuro didn't block those attacks, despite being completely capable of doing so. In fact, she looked like she was enjoying the attention.

Once Junko got bored, she went into her depressed persona. "Things don't look so good for us." Junko stated. "If they find out that we're really Ultimate Despair, they're going to make sure we don't do anything. And if Mondo and Sakura work together, along with that psycho murderer, I don't think you would be able to win the fight."

Mukuro didn't disagree. She knew her capabilities and her title of the Ultimate Soldier, but Sakura isn't the Ultimate Martial Artist for nothing, and Mondo is pretty strong as well. She doesn't know Genocide Jack's capabilities, but more than likely, she would lose if all three of them fought her at once.

Junko then hugged herself, still in her depressed persona. "But the thought of our plans getting destroyed, the thought of classmates finding out and capturing us when they do," Junko then began to shake, something that concerned Mukuro a bit. "It makes me so, so…."

"...excited!" Junko squealed, drool coming from her mouth. The shaking wasn't from fear, but from excitement. "Oh, just the thought of my entire plan going down hill just because of this glimpse into the future is making me feel so much despair! I'm drooling!"

Mukuro just watched, her worries gone and not at all surprised that Junko is so excited about this. This is Junko, after all. Her despair fetish had no bounds.

"So you have no problems with all this happening?" Mukuro clarified.

Junko nodded. "Yep! It's only a possibility that my identity will be revealed, so I wouldn't worry that much! And if it does happen," She began drooling once again. "I would feel all that despair! Oh, I'm so excited!"

Mukuro could only wonder what got her sister to become like this. Unlike her sister, she's not so excited about all of this. Not because of the possibility of being captured, but because Makoto might die. Her heart clenched just thinking about it.

Despite her feelings though, she's going to stay by Junko's side. She isn't going to abandon Junko. Not again.

(Living Room)

Soon, the group finished up their lunches and everyone started going back to the living room, some reluctantly. After settling back down onto their seats, many of them were apprehensive of what's to come next.

Kyoko, noticing the apprehension, spoke up. "You do remember what Spirit said, didn't you?" Kyoko questioned, getting everyone's attention. "That this could benefit us in the future."

"Can you explain how this will benefit us?" Hifumi asked the detective. "What do you think we'll see?"

Kyoko didn't hesitate to explain. "I doubt our future selves will just accept this fate. They would try to find a way out or who's behind all this. And if they manage to find out who's behind this…."

"...We would know who to stop." Chihiro realized, causing mental lightbulbs to light up left and right. "If this shows what the situation is, or even how we lost our memories, it would be extremely beneficial to us."

"That is, if our future selves can cast off their suspicions of each other." Byakuya reminded them. "Remember the ending of the prologue. The group is still very suspicious of one another."

"It's true." Makoto agreed with Byakuya. "But I have hope that our future selves will work together, at least a little bit."

"But still, even with the possible information we could obtain, ask yourself this." Kyoko told everyone. "Do we really want to know what's in store for us? We might see something we may regret seeing. Or that'll haunt our minds for years to come."

All of them stayed silent at that. Several feel conflicted at Kyoko's words. Junko, meanwhile, looked on. She predicts that after the prologue, along with Kyoko's words, that many would lose the will to watch it.

However, that prediction will go down the drain when Makoto spoke. "We have to know what's in store for us." Makoto said. "Cause if we don't, we would regret more later down the road. Besides," He turned to everyone with his bright smile. "I believe we can endure what we're about to watch. As long as we have each other, we can get through this entire thing, no matter the outcome."

Everyone looked at him in awe for his never-ending positivity, but soon, they all shared the same thought. "You are right Makoto." Sakura agreed, smiling at her friend. "We must push forward, otherwise, we would regret it later."

"Yeah." Leon agreed with a grin. "And if we can find the guy behind all of this, we can track him down and kick their ass!"

"Damn straight!" Mondo roared in agreement. "We won't let this guy get started on this crazy plan of theirs."

While spirits were being lifted high, Junko is looking at Makoto with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. Despite all the information given to him, he's still so damn positive.

Oh well. She's sure that his spirit will break as he watches more and more of friends die.

"So, you're all ready?" Spirit questioned. Everyone nodded. "Good. Then let's start chapter 1." With that, Spirit started the TV once more.

 **And that's the end. I hope all of you liked this chapter. I also hope all of the characters are still in character, and that the conversations felt in character too. There were a couple of things I wanted to add into here, things suggested by you readers, but as I continued writing this chapter, I felt that some of those ideas could be better used for later.**

 **Next up, they're gonna be starting chapter 1 of Danganronpa. If you any ideas for anything in chapter 1, or for the free times, feel free to tell me. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	9. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P1

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Now, several of you suggested several things for the free time. From doing free time for those who're about to die to just do the more interesting. And one review told me that doing all of them would take up a lot of time. So, after thinking about the reviews I've seen, I decided to either do the more interesting and plot oriented ones, or combine the conversations. I hope you guys are okay with that.**

 **As for Junko, many of you wants her to have feelings for Makoto, with some suggesting Junko having a obsession with the Ultimate Luckster/Hope, while a few of you argued against it. After weighing the arguments and number of reviews about it, I decided that Junko will have some sort of infatuation with Makoto later in the fic. When the time comes that Makoto tries to get Junko into the side of hope, I might need some help with that.**

 **Like one of the reviews said, Junko is a complicated character. I doubt she would easily get on the side of hope.**

 **So, with those thing out of the way, enjoy the chapter.**

 **P.S. I now got a beta reader for this fic. "A Lucky Soldier" will be checking my chapters now, so the chapters will have little to no grammar mistakes.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 08: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 1

 **When the screen turned on, it was still black. "You must kill someone if you want to leave." The narrator Makoto repeated. "Those words kept being repeated in my head. I could feel that paralyzing fear slowly making its way through my body, dominating every last nerve. The air hung heavy on me, pressing down like a weight. It took everything I had to endure that weight."**

 **(Chapter 1 - To Survive - Daily Life)**

"Something tells me that this'll get intense." Hifumi declared as they looked at the title and picture. "Yes, very intense indeed."

"The picture looks like a battle could happen between that fucking bear and Makoto." Mondo commented. Makoto began sweating at the sound of that.

"I don't think that would happen." Makoto stated. While Monokuma doesn't look tough, he probably got several weapons in the school and probably in himself.

 **"But for as heavy as the air felt," The narrator Makoto continued. "All it took to pierce it was her sharp words."**

 **"So? What are you going to do now?" That broke everyone's suspicious glance and they all turned to the one who spoke. Kyoko Kirigiri.**

 **She stared at them right back, no amount of fear or suspicion in her eyes. "Just stand around glaring at each other?" Her question was directed at everyone in the room.**

Makoto sighed in relief at that. "I'm glad your future self is there with us Kyoko." Makoto told the detective. "Otherwise, the tension would've still been there."

Kyoko smiled. "It's fine." Kyoko waved off. "There needed to be someone who had to break off the suspicions and fearful thoughts."

 **That broke all of the tension. "R-Right….she's right!" Taka stated. "Sometimes, even if you're nervous or afraid, you just have to step forward! To forget such a simple fact….I can't forgive me myself. I so ashamed! Please, someone hit me! I can't forgive myself! Somebody hit me! Punish me!"**

"I can't believe I forgot something either!" Taka exclaimed, holding his head. "Mondo, please hit me for this! I need to be punished!"

"Jesus bro," Mondo sighed, shaking his head. "You don't have to overreact like that. You weren't the only one who was afraid."

 **"Jesus." Mondo groaned. "If you have time to yell about it, you have time to DO something about it."**

 **"Perhaps," Hifumi spoke in. "But….what is the mission, exactly?"**

 **Leon slapped his forehead. "Idiot!" The baseball player exclaimed. "To look for a way out, duh!"**

 **"And we totally need to find whoever was controlling that stupid bear and beat the hell out of 'em." Junko said in anger.**

"Look like our future selves' objective is similar to ours." Taka stated. "Only that we're not trapped in the school."

"So it seems." Sakura agreed.

 **"B-But before we do all that, maybe we should take a look at the handbook." Chihiro suggested shyly. "It's probably best to check out the school regulations Monokuma mentioned before doing anything else."**

 **"True." Celestia agreed. "If we stumble around with no clue to what the rules are, something like before might happen again."**

"And if that happens, I doubt anyone else would be able to escape Monokuma's punishment." Celeste added in. More than a few gulped at that.

 **Mondo look away at that. "Shit."**

 **"Fine." Junko sighed. "Then let's hurry up and check out the stupid rules already."**

 **Everyone started turning on their e-Handbooks, Makoto included. When he turned it on, the first thing that appeared is his name. He then selected the school regulation icon, which caused the first rule to appear.**

 ** _'Rule number 1: Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.'_ Makoto read to himself. _'_ _Rule 2: Nighttime is from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution. Rule 3: Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.'_**

 ** _'Rule 4: With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.'_ Makoto kept reading. _'Rule 5: Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras. Rule 6: Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered. Rule 7: Additional school regulations may be added as necessary.'_**

As soon as Makoto finished reading the rules, several of the students gained angry looks. "What the hell? These rules are meant to control us!" Leon raged.

"Like hell I'll let them do that!" Mondo roared. "No stupid rules are going to stop me from escaping!"

"So, you would rather get yourself killed trying to find a way out?" Celeste calmly asked the biker. That stopped Mondo raging. "While I don't agree with these rules, if you break them, Monokuma will kill you."

Mondo was silent for a moment before sighed and reluctantly settled down.

 **Makoto looked up from his reading, feeling a little dizzy. As he looked down, he saw the others having stormy faces. "This is bullshit!" Mondo raged. "What the hell kinda rules are these?! I'm not gonna let them control me!"**

 **Before he could do anything, Celeste spoke. "Well then, why don't you wander around the school without a care in the world and see what happens? Personally, I would love to see what happens when someone breaks one of the rules."**

Hina blinked. "Wow, that's pretty similar to the conversation here." Hina mentioned.

"Only the future Celeste had a more apathetic wording to her warning." Taka added in. He laughed. "This goes to show how well we are getting along with each other!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Celeste stated. "Several of you are still D rank, just only higher than regular D ranks. Very few of you here are C, one of them being Makoto."

 **"But if he got punished like what we saw before, I don't think there'd be a respawn point waiting for him." Hifumi said nervously. Mondo went silent at that, losing his rage.**

 **He stayed silent for a moment before speaking up. "I….ever since I was a kid, I grew up with my older brother pounding this into my head. When a man makes a promise, he has to keep it, even if it kills him."**

 **"...So what?" Was the response from Junko.**

 **"I've made a ton of promises that I still have to keep, that's 'so what'!" Mondo exclaimed. "So I can't afford to die in here!"**

"So in other words, future you are gonna follow the rules?" Celeste asked. Mondo reluctantly nodded.

 **Celeste sighed. "None of that made much sense to me, but you're saying you will follow the regulations, is that it?"**

 **"Huh?" Was Mondo's response. "Oh well….yeah, I guess you're right." With that, all the steam was taken away from Mondo.**

 **Sayaka then spoke. "Hey, um….I have a question. For regulation number six….what do you think it means, exactly?"**

 **Makoto knew what she was talking about. The rule about the 'blackened'. "You're talking about the second half, right? Where it says 'unless they are discovered'? I was wondering about that myself."**

"Now that they mentioned it, I'm wondering about that too." Makoto said.

Byakuya then spoke up. "It means that no one can find out that they're the killer, obviously."

"But how would that work?" Chihiro asked. "Does Monokuma have some kind of set up for that?"

"Hopefully, we don't find out the hard way." Sayaka says.

 **"It's saying that if you want to graduate, you have to kill someone without anyone finding out it was you." Byakuya stated.**

 **"B-But why?" Toko asked. "Why do we h-have to do that?"**

 **"I don't see any reason to worry about it." Byakuya said. "Just worry about following the rules as they've been explained to us. Frankly, I don't want to hear anything from someone who waits for others to decide what to do for them."**

Toko giggled perversely. "E-Even at a t-time like this, m-master is such a flirt with me."

Hiro sighed. "I will never understand her masochistic side."

"None of us will man." Leon sighed with Hiro.

 **Toko blushed a little. "D-Don't jab at me."**

 **"More like a full on stab." Leon countered.**

"S-Shut it. Y-You know nothing about l-love." Toko hissed.

Leon rolled his eyes. "I know enough where I can tell what love isn't like." Leon retorted.

 **"Well for now, let's forget all this silly junk about murderers or whatever." Hina spoke up. "Now that we know the rules, let's go exploring the school!"**

 **"True." Taka agreed. "We need to find out where exactly we are. Is there any way out? What about food and supplies? There are tons of questions we need to answer!"**

"Agreed future me!" Taka shouted in agreement. "There are questions we need to answer as well!"

"Some the same, some different." Celeste stated. "Hopefully, this series will answer all of them."

 **"Damn straight!" Leon stated, feeling pumped up. "Okay, then let's all start looking around!"**

 **"...I'll be going alone." Byakuya stated.**

 **"What? Why?" Junko questioned. "That's a pretty stupid idea, don't you think?"**

 **Byakuya didn't hesitate to answer. "Someone here might already have started thinking about murdering one of us. Are you saying we should stand around with them in our midst and make it that much easier for them?"**

A few eyes widen. "You really think that would happen?" Makoto questioned in shock.

"Like it or not Makoto, the possibility is there." Byakuya sighed. "Our future selves were suspicious of one another. My other is just making sure he doesn't get killed."

"Yeah, like going off by yourself is soooo much better." Junko stated with an eye roll.

 **"H-Hey, hold on a second." Sayaka spoke in. "That would never-!"**

 **"Don't bother saying it couldn't happen. You can't deny the possibility." Byakuya interrupted harshly. "That's why you all seized up in fear when that graduation rule was made clear to you. Am I wrong?"**

 **"B-But…." Sayaka then stayed silent, looking very guilty. Several of the other Ultimates look guilty as well.**

Kyoko sighed. "While the possibility is there, you could learn to trust people more Byakuya."

Byakuya made a 'hmph' sound, but didn't disagree.

 **The Togami heir continue. "So, I'm simply acting in accordance with what I think is best for me." With that, he went out of his way to the exit of the gym. But his path got blocked by Mondo.**

 **"Hold on! Like hell I'm gonna let you run off and do whatever you want!" Mondo stated, looking pretty threatening.**

 **But Byakuya was not deterred. "Out of my way, Plankton."**

 **"Wh-?! The fuck's that supposed to mean?!" Mondo demanded.**

 **"One tiny bit of plankton, drifting across the sea." Byakuya explained, mocking Mondo. "So miniscule, so insignificant, they couldn't possibly have any kind of influence on the boundless ocean."**

Mondo growled. "I forgot how much I wanted to kick you ass!"

Byakuya chuckled. "Doesn't mean my future self's words are any less true."

Mondo paused at this. "Wait. You know what? I still want to kick your ass!" He jumped up and was ready to pound Byakuya's skull in, but he was held back Taka and Chihiro.

"Bro, calm down!"

"You know that Byakuya is like that!"

Mondo growled, but sat down. If he wanted, he could've broke out of their grip. But he didn't want to disappointment his bro nor hurt Chihiro in any way. He's way too fragile to hurt.

 **That angered Mondo immensely. "I'm gonna kick your ass!"**

 **Before Mondo could fulfill that threat, Makoto ran up and stood between the two. "S-Stop it! We shouldn't fight!"**

Mondo winced. "Oh, you shouldn't have tried to stop me at my state Makoto."

 **Unfortunately, Mondo take too kindly to that. "The fuck you just say? You some kinda goody-goody little bitch? Who do you think you are, talkin' to me like that? You think you're my fuckin' dad or something?!"**

Hina scowled. "He's just trying to stop you from fighting! That doesn't mean you should insult him!"

Mondo rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I was angry, okay? I couldn't help it." He defended himself.

 **Makoto stepped back, slowly realizing what he put himself in. "N-No, I wasn't-!"**

 **"Fuck you!" A second later, Mondo punched Makoto and sent him flying through the gym. Soon, the boy landed on the other side of the gym.**

Sayaka and Hina gasped, covering their mouths in shock, while Fukuwa covered her eyes. Hifumi and Hiro winced, feeling bad for Makoto. "That critical attack must have hurt." Hifumi stated.

"Well, what did you expect?" Leon retorted. "Mondo is like a freaking monster when angry. I would be surprised if Makoto survived that."

Makoto glared at the Ultimate Baseball play for that assumption, but stayed quiet. He wasn't THAT weak!

Meanwhile, Mondo spoke up in anger. "Who the hell are you calling a monster, jackass?" The biker got up with his fist raise at Leon, but Taka and Chihiro quickly got him back on the couch again.

Sakura closed her eyes. "You should really learn to control your anger, Mondo." Sakura stated. "You can use this as a means to control it, when the time comes for you to avoid hurting somebody."

Meanwhile, Kyoko, Celeste, and Junko did their best to keep their emotions in check. The first two were angry, the last was amused.

Junko easily managed to stop an amused grin from coming up. Celeste had a bit more trouble concealing her anger, but manage to do so. Kyoko, however, while isn't showing any obvious signs of anger, had a very slight scowl on her face and her purple eyes darkening a bit.

Mukuro didn't bother hiding her expression. She looks ready to kill Mondo for what he did.

 ** _'Oh, that's right.'_ Makoto thought wearily, on the verge of unconsciousness. _'I'm trapped in here with a bunch of 'ultimates'. My common sense must've….stopped functioning after all this. I guess I shouldn't be surprised something like this would happen. But I'd just….lost track of my sense of reality.'_ That was his last thought before going unconscious.**

"Are we really that scary to you?" Sayaka asked him, after getting out of her shock.

Makoto smiled sheepishly. "I wouldn't say scary for all of you, but a normal kid with a bunch of talented people could be a bit overwhelming." Makoto explained himself. "And some my fears were justified, considering my future self was just launched across gym."

"Oh. Speaking of which," Sayaka slowly turned to Mondo, a smile on her face. And in the background, a dark aura surrounded her. "Mondo. We'll need to talk about controlling your temper."

"Do you mind if I join you?" Mukuro asked, her killer glare directed at Mondo.

"Sure. I don't mind if some of you girls join me in educating him." Sayaka said sweetly. Mondo felt himself a bit pale at this.

Celeste giggled. "Your future self just dug you an early grave."

Many of the guys felt sympathetic for Mondo. Especially when they saw Hina glaring at him, along with Kyoko giving him a cold, emotionless stare.

 **And that's the end. Sorry for the small chapter, but I felt this would be a good stopping point. Looks like with the first few parts of each chapter, they're gonna be short. So, expect that in the future. If you guys have any ideas for chapter 1 or how to start off certain free time events, let me know. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	10. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P2

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Before I start, I want to talk to you guys about something. I know it's a bit far off from the chapter we're currently at, but I want to discuss the class trials.**

 **What aspects of the trial do you think I should keep? I probably won't be keeping mini-games such as hangman's gambit, but there are a few things that I would probably keep in the watching the future story. Which of these things do you guys think I should keep? And, when the investigations and trial comes closer, would some of you mind telling what parts of the anime I should put in the trial? Like one of you mentioned before, there are some parts in the anime that were good and could be used in this fic.**

 **So, with that discussion out of the way, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 9: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 2

 **The scene changed to Makoto sleeping on a bed. Slowly, the boy woke up with a groan. "Huh?" The boy said, when he noticed he was in a completely different location. "W-Where am I?"**

 **Slowly, he rose and examined the bedroom he's in. It was a small room, with a desk next to his bed, a table and small cupboard at the front, and two doors to the side of him. A camera was also in the room while the windows behind are sealed with metal plates.**

Makoto's eyes widened in recognition. "Is that my old room? Or at least, one of the dorm rooms at the old building of Hope's Peak?"

"So it seems." Byakuya confirmed.

 **"Okay, so," Makoto spoke to himself. "Where am I now?" He got up from his bed and looked around. He saw a lint roller near the bed, as well as a notepad on the desk. As he looked around the room, he found a key on the desk with his name on it.**

"So there are rooms assigned to us." Celestia mused. "At least we won't have to go through the trouble of picking rooms."

"Are you seriously worried about that?" Leon questioned in slight disbelief.

 **"Okay, I think I'm starting to understand." Makoto said as he looked at his room once more. "This room must be my assigned dorm room."**

 ** _'Someone must have carried me here when I got knocked unconscious.'_ The lucky student thought. _'That answers my first question. My next one is what everyone else is up to right now.'_ His eyes then went to the far door on his right. _'Well, there's only one way to find out. And that's to get out of this room.'_ With that in mind, he went to do the door, opened it, and rushed out.**

 **Which caused him to crash into someone.**

 **"Ahh!"**

 **"Oh!"**

 **Makoto fell onto his butt and held his head from the sharp pain on his forehead. When he opened his eyes, he saw Sayaka on the ground as well. "Sayaka? S-Sorry! Are you okay?"**

 **"I-I'm fine." Sayaka reassured, holding her head as well. "I hope you're okay." She held an embarrassed smile on her face.**

Junko giggled at the scene. "The two of you are such klutz." Junko sang, causing the two to blush. "And this is like, a really cheesy scene, you know? Where a guy and a girl bump into each other in romance shows or movies."

Several of the other girls didn't like that comparison. That could be seen with Hina gripping onto the side of her seat a bit too forcefully, Mukuro subconsciously moving her hand to her knife, Celeste's polite smile holding a bit of a dark aura, and Kyoko's eyes darkening a bit.

 **Slowly, Makoto and Sayaka got up from the ground. "Are you okay, Sayaka? Are you hurt?" Makoto asked, concerned about their collision.**

 **Sayaka giggled. "You make it sound worse than it really is. I'm completely fine." She reassured. "I know how I look, but I've actually built some pretty good muscle from jumping up and down the stage!"**

 **Makoto sighed in relief. "That's good, then." He stated with a smile.**

Sayaka giggled. "You always worry so much about your friends Makoto. Even those that are capable of handling most minor injuries, like Mondo and Sakura."

Makoto blushed and shrugged sheepishly. What could he say? He gets worried easily, especially when it comes to those that he cared about.

 **"But….are you okay?" Sayaka asked, this time being the one concern. "You know, from when Mondo hit you…."**

 **'Yeah, that's true.' Makoto remembered. _'I got knocked out right there in front of everyone. I guess I revealed my lack of cool right from the beginning.'_**

"I don't think you have to worry all too much." Chihiro said to the luckster. "After all, I doubt many could take on a punch from Mondo and stay conscious. Even only a few people from Hope's Peak could sustain a hit like that."

Makoto smiled. "I don't think I would've thought it that way. Thanks Chihiro."

 **"Makoto?" Sayaka called out in concern, breaking Makoto out of his thoughts.**

 **"Oh, uh, I'm fine!" Makoto replied, after getting out of his thoughts. "Nothing wrong here!"**

 **Sayaka smiled in relief. "Oh, that's good. I was kinda worried." She admitted.**

 **"Th-Thanks." Makoto said, a bit embarrassed. However, he immediately straightened up and asked his next question. "By the way….what are you doing here?"**

 **"Actually, I came to get you." Sayaka answered.**

 **That surprised Makoto a bit. "You came….to get me?"**

 **"Well, if you really are feeling better," Sayaka said. "I was hoping you could come to the dining hall with me."**

 **"The dining hall?" Makoto repeated, wondering why.**

 **Sayaka then explained everything. "After you got knocked out, everyone decided to go and do their own thing. We've decided to split up and look around so later, we can get together and discuss our findings."**

"So we're working together for right now." Sakura stated. "That's good."

"And splitting up is a smart move." Kyoko stated. "Not only because it covers more ground, but there are some of us who wouldn't want to pair up with anybody." Kyoko herself knew that given the state her future self is in, she wouldn't trust anyone around her. Especially with the possibility of the killing game.

 **"So does that mean it's almost time to get back together?" Makoto asked. "If that's what's going on, then of course I'll go with you!"**

 **"Good. Let's go to the dining hall then." Sayaka then walked over to the dining hall, Makoto following her shortly after.**

"Wow. Even in a perilous situation, the two of you stick together like glue." Taka observed.

Makoto blushed while Sayaka merely smiled. "What can I say? We fit together well." Sayaka stated. Her statement was also directed towards the other girls, causing narrowed eyes and annoyed glances from them.

 _'Vixen.'_ Mukuro thought venomously.

 **They soon got to the dining hall, which resembled that of a restaurant's. "So this is the dormitory's dining hall." Makoto said absentmindedly.**

 **"It looks pretty clean, so that's good." Sayaka commented. Then she looked a bit embarrassed. "Er, I guess that's not really important right now, with us being prisoners here and all."**

 **"Yeah, that's true." Makoto agreed.**

"On the contrary, it's really important to have a clean place to eat." Celeste disagreed. "I would not want to eat in a dirty room."

The group merely sighed in exasperation or rolled their eyes at Celeste's statement. Only she would be worried about something so trivial in a situation like that.

 **'The others aren't here yet.' Makoto thought as he looked around once more. 'Guess we don't have much of a choice but to stay here.'**

 **"Okay, let's just wait here." Sayaka said, surprising Makoto.**

 **"Huh?! You heard that?!"**

 **"Like I said, I'm psychic." Sayaka stated with a straight face. Then the straight face evaporated into an amused smile. "Come on, I'm just kidding! Seriously, I just have amazing intuition."**

 ** _'Is it really just intuition?'_ Makoto couldn't help but think.**

"Most likely is because you're very easy to read." Byakuya stated. "You're an open book, and you show all of your cards in your hand. It's no wonder Sayaka can read you so easily."

"I don't know if that should be an insult or compliment." Makoto admitted.

"Take it how however you like." Was Byakuya's response. "I'm merely stating the truth."

"Well, let's take it as a compliment then." Hina suggested optimistically. "It means that people can trust you more."

 _'But it also means that you can be more easily deceived.'_ Kyoko thought, feeling a bit worried for the future Makoto. He's so open about his emotions that he can be easily manipulated by others.

 **"By the way, Makoto," Sayaka spoke up once again. "I know this is kind of continuing the self-introduction thing, but I wanted to ask you something."**

 **That got Makoto curios. "What did you want to ask me?"**

 **"Makoto," She began. "Did you happen to go to Blackroot Junior High? Were you maybe….in class 2?"**

 **That surprised Makoto. "Y-Yeah, actually….I was." He answered.**

 **That brought a smile from Sayaka. "I knew it!" She declared. "I went there, too! I was in class 4, though. Do you remember me?"**

"Wait, the two of you were in different classes in that school and Sayaka still remembered you?" Taka asked in surprise. "Have the two of you interacted at some point during that time?"

Makoto shook his head. "No, we never really talked to each other before we went to Hope's Peak."

"Then how did Sayaka remember Makoto throughout all that time?" Junko asked. "Makoto is a pretty unremarkable guy. Way too normal to be noticed among the crowd of other normal people."

 _'Okay. That comment stung a bit.'_ Makoto thought with a wince.

"You'll find out in a bit." Was Sayaka answers. "It's just my intuition, as well as my experience so far in Hope's Peak, but I have a feeling my future self will explain."

 **"Do I remember….?"**

 ** _'Even back in middle school, she was a celebrity with all kinds of "ultimates" surrounding her. How could I forget?'_ Makoto thought to himself. _'Almost as surprising as her question was that she remembered me! We'd never even talked to each other, but she somehow she still knew who I was.'_**

"That is a curious thing." Celeste mused. She smiled slyly. "Could it be that our Pop Sensation was stalking Makoto here?"

"N-No! I wasn't stalking him!" Sayaka protested, blushing in embarrassment.

 **"Hey, are you okay?" Sayaka called out, snapping Makoto out of his thoughts once again.**

 **"Oh, yeah." Makoto responded back. "I'm just surprised, is all. I wouldn't have thought that you would remember me."**

 **"We went to the same school for three years, of course I remember!" Sayaka told him, as if it was obvious.**

"So, stalking him for three years then?"

"I wasn't stalking him!" Sayaka denied. "Makoto just did something that caught my attention!"

"It's true." Makoto supported Sayaka's statement. "There was something that brought her attention towards me."

 **"Well, that's true." Makoto admitted. "But there were lots of students in our grade, right? Plus, I've never been the type of person to ever really stand out. I'm average at everything, and all my hobbies are totally normal. Even 'normal' would call me boring."**

"I wouldn't call you completely normal." Byakuya stated. "You have an unnatural amount of kindness, though not as much Chihiro's, as well as an unusual amount of optimism."

"An unusual amount of kindness and optimism?" Makoto repeated as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his head. "Are they really unusual?"

 _'You have no idea.'_ Several of them thought.

 **"What are you talking about?" Sayaka asked. She giggled. "You're so strange!"**

 **"S-Strange?" Makoto repeated in shock. "That's-!"**

 **Sayaka giggled louder, causing Makoto to stop speaking. _'Wow. Her smile is the nicest smile I've ever seen.'_ Makoto thought, feeling his heart rate calm down.**

Sayaka blushed at this. While she's no stranger to receiving compliments from guys, none of them have ever really complimented on a simple smile. 'He really is sweet.' Sayaka thought.

Hina pouted, feeling jealous that Sayaka is getting all that time with Makoto. When will her future self get that time? She hopes it will come soon.

Mukuro and Kyoko frowned, getting jealous at the fact that Makoto is beginning to have a crush on Sayaka, if not, have one already. Celeste felt the same as well, although she's hiding it better than the others.

 **"Anyway," Sayaka spoke up once again. "I'm really glad….that I know somebody here. Talking to you has made me feel a lot better about all this. You're amazing, Makoto!"**

Makoto couldn't help but blush at this scene, and it only grew bigger when he realized that the conversation between him and Sayaka are being shown to his classmates. Judging from the blush on Sayaka's face, she must have realized this as well.

Leon was grumbling to himself, feeling jealous that Makoto was able to get Sayaka's attention. Without trying at that!

 **Despite feeling warm at the last statement, he disagreed with it. "No, I'm really not." Makoto denied. "I'm nothing at all compared to all you 'ultimates'."**

 **"But you're the one that helped me find my courage again." Sayaka argued. "Not any of these 'ultimate' students."**

Leon grumbled even more at that. _'I so could've got her courage back.'_

 **Makoto smiled bashfully at this. "Thank you for saying that."**

 **"And to thank you for help me out, I'm going to become your Ultimate Assistant!" Sayaka declared.**

That surprised the group. "My assistant?" Makoto repeated in surprise.

"Your assistant?" Sayaka also repeated, a blush on her face.

Leon, though feeling jealous, had to tease Makoto about this. "Wow, having the number one idol as your assistant? Nice one bro." Makoto blushed in embarrassment at this.

Mondo smirked at the two. "Do the two of you play those roles when none of us are looking?" He teased, getting the two blush even more. Hiro laughed at all of this.

"Man, your luck is still going strong Makoto." Hiro commented, getting a bit jealous as well. Hifumi, meanwhile, is between praising Makoto for his ability or steaming in jealousy.

Hina pouted even more while Sakura smiled in amusement. Kyoko merely raised an eyebrow at the idea and Mukuro just scowled in jealousy, knowing the two could get closer with Sayaka being Makoto's assistant. Junko, who was pretty bored in watching this, got a bit amused at how her sister is acting.

 **"Huh?" Makoto stated in shock. "My assistant?"**

 **"Yup!" Sayaka confirmed brightly. "I'm your assistant now! I'm going to help out as much as I can, so let's get out of here together!"**

Sayaka, after getting out of her embarrassment, decided to take advantage of this little moment with her and Makoto on the screen. "So our future selves are getting closer than last time." Sayaka commented to Makoto.

Makoto chuckled and nodded. "Yep. Seems like it."

"Maybe I can become your Ultimate Assistant as well?" Sayaka asked him 'innocently'. That brought Makoto's eyes wide and a healthy blush on the boy's face.

"Wh-What?"

"Well, our future selves doing it. Why not us?" She latched her arms around Makoto. "I may not have that much experience being an assistant, but I'm sure I could do it."

Makoto's face is that akin to a tomato now. Meanwhile, Hina is gnashing her teeth in jealousy, Mukuro is resisting the temptation in putting a knife in Sayaka, Celeste is holding a dark aura around her, and Kyoko has her eyes narrowed at Sayaka.

Sayaka, in return, gave the girls sly smiles while Makoto isn't looking, angering them further. Those around them, san an oblivious and embarrassed Makoto, took a step back at the obvious rivalry between the girls.

"I don't need a fortune to tell me that this will get ugly during this whole thing." Hiro stated. Several in the group agreed with the clairvoyant.

 **Makoto felt himself get pumped up with Sayaka's words. But as he looked around once again, he saw that none of the others were here yet. _'Everyone else still isn't here.'_ Makoto thought. _'I don't even know what time it is right now. There must be a clock around here.'_**

 **He soon found a clock near the entrance of the dining hall. When he looked at the time, his eyes widened. "What?! 7:00?! At night?!"**

Several's eyes widened as well. "He was knocked out for THAT long?!" Leon exclaimed.

"M-Mondo's punch m-must've been harder t-than we thought." Toko stuttered out. "O-Or m-maybe it's that M-Makoto is weaker than we r-realized."

"Hey!"

"Well, Makoto was launched into the air. Mondo must've put too much strength in it." Chihiro pointed out quietly.

Mondo paled when he felt the killing intent from the other girls and from the reminder that he had hurt Makoto badly. He's going to suffer soon, he's sure of it.

 **"You were unconscious for a pretty long time." Sayaka explained to him.**

 ** _'I see.'_ Makoto thought. _'Without being able to look at a window, I lost all sense of time. If I have to stay in a place for too long….I might go crazy.'_**

Hina suddenly paled. "How long will our future selves be stuck inside the school?"

"Who knows? It maybe days, weeks, even months." Byakuya stated. "There's a small chance it's for the rest of their lives, if our future selves actually manage to avoid killing one another."

Hina whimpered at the thought. "I just might go crazy if I can't go play outside!"

"The thought disturbs me as well." Sakura agreed with her friend. "There are limits to what exercises I could do inside the school walls."

"Relax. I'm sure they'll take us out of the old building soon, I'm sure of it." Hiro waved off. Everyone ignored him.

 **"I can't believe no one's here yet." Sayaka commented. "But I'm sure they'll start showing up soon."**

 **Just as she said that, Taka threw open the dining hall doors and entered in.**

Several jumped at that. "What the heck? Did Taka time that?" Leon questioned.

"I'm sure it's just a big coincidence." Taka stated. As if he would wait in front of a meeting place when he could enter in! A waste of time for sure!

 **"Ah, Makoto, Sayaka! So you two got here first, huh?" Taka rhetorically asked. He sagged his shoulder a bit in disappointment. "Too bad….I was sure I'd beat everyone here. I guess that just means I don't have enough fighting spirit yet!"**

 **The moral compass quickly picked himself back up. "Well I won't give up! Next time, I swear I'll win no matter what it takes! Justice shall always prevail!"**

"Well said future me!" Taka agreed passionately while the others groaned in exasperation.

"Bro, that's a bit much there." Mondo mumbled.

 **Sayaka giggled. "That's a bit much, don't you think?"**

 **After Taka came in, the others followed shortly after. A few minutes later, everyone had gathered at the dining table. "Okay! It looks like everyone's here. Time to start the meeting!" Taka declared. "Let's all go around and share what we've found out during our respective investigations! The sooner we find out what's going on, the sooner we can get out of here!"**

"So our alliance begins." Hifumi announced in a menacing like voice.

Makoto was taking another look at the group when he noticed something. "Wait. What about Kyoko?" Makoto pointed out, getting everyone else's attention. "She's not here."

That got Taka riled up. "What?!" He exclaimed. "She's going to be late?! And without telling anyone either!"

Makoto felt himself become a bit worried, but only a little bit. He knew that Kyoko, being a detective and all, is always thorough with her investigations. She's probably just spending more time to look around in detail.

"Well, I hope future Kyoko will be okay." Hina said with concern. Despite Kyoko being one of her rivals, she still cared about her well-being.

The detective waved off the concern. "Don't worry. I doubt my future self is in danger." Like Makoto, she also believed that her future self is just looking around more thoroughly. Hopefully, that search will lead to some clues for them.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Again, if you have any ideas for chapter one of watching Danganronpa, during free time events, the murders, the investigations, or the trials, let me know. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	11. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P3

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I got several suggestions as to what to do with the class trials. Many of you suggested to keep the non-stop debates, panic talk, and the closing arguments. Closing arguments, I think I can do. Non-stop debate may be a bit trickier, but I think I can keep that and make it look as realistic as possible. Panic talk, however, will be a harder time writing down. Any ideas as to how to put it in will be good, same with non-stop debates.**

 **So, with that out of the way, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 10: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 3

 **"Wait, hold on a sec!" Junko interrupted, noticing something.**

 **"What's wrong?!" Taka questioned in annoyance.**

 **"What about, uh….what's her name? You know, the silver haired girl." Junko stammered out, trying to remember the name. "Uhh….oh yeah, Kyoko!"**

"You're still acting like Junko, Mukuro?" Makoto asked her. "I thought you would've took off the disguise by now."

"The enemy may not know that I'm not really Junko, so I can't risk her safety." Mukuro replied in response. "The enemy might be searching for me, not Junko, so it would be easier for her to hide."

Makoto 'ahhed' and nodded.

 **"...What about her?"**

 **"She's not here." Junko told him.**

 **That shocked Taka. "What?!" The group took a look around the dining hall and sure enough, Kyoko was nowhere to be seen.**

 **"I wonder where she went." Hina commented in concern. "Has anyone seen her?" To that question, everyone shook their heads.**

 **"Wait, so 'nobody's' seen her?" Chihiro clarified.**

More than a few eyes widen. "Could it be that….?" Junko trailed off.

"No, I don't think that has happened." Celeste was the one to answer. "Far too early in the series for the murder to happen."

"I agree. Would be a crappy story if a murder happens so very soon." Hifumi agreed with Celeste.

"Are we seriously treating this like a TV series?" Leon questioned in disbelief. "Are we really doing that?"

Makoto chuckled at this. "Well, other than the fact that it's too early, as Hifumi and Celeste claims, Kyoko isn't one to let her guard down with people she doesn't trust."

"And since my future self doesn't know any of you, I doubt I will let my guard down." Kyoko finished for Makoto.

 ** _'Why hasn't Kyoko shown up yet?'_ Makoto thought. _'Could it be because…..?'_ He remembers Monokuma's words, the conditions set for them to leave this school. 'Is it possible? Has she really….?'**

 **Makoto shook his head. _'No, no. I'm just overthinking things.'_**

 **Taka growled in frustration. "Darn it, Kyoko! You're really going to be late like this on the first day of school?! Not only is she late, she didn't tell anyone she would be late! A most unbecoming personality trait."**

Junko rolled her eyes. "Quite the jackass you're being right now."

"Well, what did you expect? I value punctuality! It's everything!" Taka stated.

Junko look at him, stunned. "You're being a real jackass, you know that?"

"Well what do you want me to do?! Punctuality is everything!" Taka stated in defense.

"It's kinda scary how similar our words are alongside our future selves." Makoto commented, chuckling a little.

"Well, this is our future selves, with their memories wiped of Hope's Peak." Chihiro said. "We're bound to have some similar lines."

 **"Now then, I declare that the first session of the Hope's Peak Academy briefing meetings has begun!"**

 **"Makoto," Sayaka began to speak to the luckster. But then she changed her mind. "Actually, first of all, I've talked enough. Maybe we should listen to what everyone else has to say."**

 **Makoto nodded. "Okay, let's do that."**

 **Sayaka hummed to herself. "You know…."**

 **"Huh? What's up?" Makoto asked curiously.**

 **"I feel like I really really have become your personal assistant, don't you agree?" She asked him, smiling. "I may not be the best assistant in the world, but I'll give it everything I got."**

 ** _'No….you've already done so much as my assistant.'_ Makoto thought.**

Makoto and Sayaka blushed once again. Makoto, because his thoughts are revealed to all of his friends, and Sayaka, because of the implications of those thoughts. His thoughts also made her feel warm, warm at the fact that her presence is helping him.

And it also gave her the chance to give her rivals a smug look. It took Celeste all of her willpower to not break her mask and let her short-tempered side show itself.

 **"Okay, so since you're in the dark about all of this, let me lay down out what's been going on." Sayaka continued on speaking. "Everyone split up to investigate different parts of the building, but Byakuya and Taka each went off their own, and so did Kyoko. Leon, Hiro, Junko, and Chihiro grouped together. The same goes for Hina, Sakura, and Mondo. Celeste, Toko, and Hifumi were left over, so they joined up."**

 **Byakuya, who was sitting at one of the other tables nearby, with Toko close by, spoke up. "I wanted to try and find some clue as to who's responsible for imprisoning us here." He explained. "But unfortunately, I made no such discoveries. That's all from me."**

"I see. That's disappointing." The present Byakuya sighed. "Well, it shows that we aren't dealing with an amateur criminal, that's for sure."

 _'No, you're not!'_ Junko sung in her head. She's far from an amateur, that's for certain.

 **"Really? That's it?" Taka questioned.**

 **"If I'd uncovered anything, naturally I would have more to say." Byakuya stated, as if it should be obvious. "But I didn't. So I don't."**

"Honestly, did you expect me to give out any useless information that others found out?" Byakuya quipped. "That would be a waste of breath."

No one bothered trying to argue with him. Mainly because he got a point.

 **"R-Right. Understood." Taka responded. He then started his report. "For me, I spent some time looking around the dormitory, and there I made the discovery of the century! I found that there was exactly one room for each person!"**

"...Seriously?" Leon stated, a bit dumbfounded. "You're calling that the discovery of the century? Any one could've figure that one out."

Taka had no rebuttal for that. He looked a bit embarrassed.

 **"Well yeah," Hina said with a shrug. "I figured that out before anything else."**

"See?"

"Okay, I admit, that was a bit of an exaggeration." Taka conceded.

 **"Every door already has a nameplate on it, so I guess they've been pre-assigned." Junko explained to everyone.**

 **"And each room key was attached to a keychain with the owner's name precision-etched onto it." Sakura continued for Junko.**

 **'Well, that confirms that the room I was in was, in fact, my room.'Makoto thought.**

 **"And Chihiro and I found out that all the rooms are totally soundproof." Junko continued speaking.**

 **"Your next door neighbor could scream their lungs out, and you wouldn't hear a thing." Chihiro added.**

 **"Well, each room also has a private bathroom, which could also lock." Celeste added in.**

 **"But it looked like only the female bathrooms had locks on them." Junko corrected a bit.**

 **"Okay, so they got a bunch of rooms ready for us." Mondo stated. "They're assuming we're gonna be here for a while."**

 **"Well, better to have than have not!" Taka said with his usual passion. "At least we don't have to worry about surviving like wild animals."**

"Yes. Thank goodness for that." Celeste stated in relief.

 **"Th-That can't be all you have to r-report, can it Mr. Honor S-Student?" Toko questioned.**

 **Taka thought about it for a minute. "That's all for my report!" He announced. "Let's move on to whoever's next!"**

"I guess that's all he has to say." Hiro stated the obvious.

"W-Wow. H-HIs report is s-sooo important." Toko snarked. Taka didn't take much offense to her comment. It's Toko, after all. And he refused to get depressed over such meaningless comments!

 **Junko then spoke once again. "For what me, Chihiro, Leon, and Hiro did, we went all up and down the school, double-checking the windows in all the hallways and classes." She explained. "We wanted to see if we could get any of those metal plates to come off. And what happened was…."**

 **"Nothing. Not a damn thing." Leon continued for Junko. "We couldn't get a single one to budge even a little bit."**

"Those plates must've been screwed on the walls tightly." Taka mused. "They really want to make sure that we don't get out of here."

"Well, Mondo and Sakura haven't tried yet." Hina said optimistically. "Maybe they can pull it off."

"If they could've, our future selves would've been out by now." Celestia retorted. Hina winced.

"Good….point."

 **"There wasn't any hope of escape anywhere." Chihiro said tearfully. "The school really has been cut off."**

 **"This sucks." Junko groaned. "It really sucks! It sucks, sucks, sucks, sucks, SUCKS! What the hell are we gonna do?!"**

 **"Goddamn, calm down!" Leon exclaimed, getting nervous himself. "You're starting to make me nervous!"**

"Yeah, seriously Mukuro, what's the deal?" Leon groaned. "I know you're acting like Junko, but that doesn't mean you have to panic like that."

Mukuro shrugged. "I'm merely doing what Junko would've done in that situation."

 **After a moment of silence, Hina spoke up. "Well, I guess it's our turn now!" She stated, referring to herself, Sakura, and Mondo. She put on a thinking pose. "We thought maybe we could find some way to communicate with the outside, so we went looking all over!" Then she got a little sadden. "But….we didn't find anything. Sorry."**

 **"I went back to the main hall, thinking maybe we could do something about that giant hunk of metal." Mondo spoke up. "But even with Sakura and me both, it wouldn't budge. We hit it with desks and chairs, and nothin'. It was hard as, like….metal."**

Celeste rolled her eyes. "Amazing comparison Mondo." She dryly stated. "Truly."

"Okay, okay, I could've come up with something better." Mondo groaned, seeing how stupid his comment was.

"Ignoring Mondo's lousy comparison," Byakuya began, ignoring the "Hey!" from Mondo. "It seems that the person doing all this got us sealed up and their tracks covered well. And that metal hatch must've been to endure heavy attacks."

"And if that doesn't work, those guns are there to stop people from coming out." Kyoko finished. "Yes, they did made this place seemingly inescapable."

That didn't sound good to the others. It made them very nervous.

 **"Well, yes, it is metal." Celeste remarked.**

 **"Anyway, if we're gonna out here, it's not gonna be through there." Mondo stated.**

 **That brought Hina's mood down even more. "I feel like I could cry." She said sadly. "But no, I have to hold it in! I have to manage my hydration!"**

 **"I shall tell what happened next." Sakura then spoke up. "It has nothing to do with communicating with the outside world, but it's still worth worrying about. In both the school and dorm areas, there was a set of stairs leading up to another floor."**

 **"But there were gates there, and we couldn't find any way to open them, so we couldn't check it out." Hina told them.**

 **"In other words, at this point, we are only able to search the 1st floor." The martial artist stated. "We can further assume that there is potentially something above the second floor, as well. And if that's the case, there is at least a chance it may lead to a way out."**

Byakaya sighed. "No point finding something there. There's not even an escape route at the fifth floor."

"Well, our future selves don't know that, unfortunately." Sayaka pointed out sadly. "They don't have the memories of Hope's Peak, so they couldn't know."

"But if the mastermind is blocking it off, maybe there's something up in those floors that he's hiding." Makoto said optimistically. "Something he added in himself, and doesn't want us to know."

Kyoko hummed at the thought. "That idea does have merit." She admitted. "We'll just have to continue watching and see if your theory is correct."

 **The others took that into thought. This time, Celeste spoke up. "As for me, Hifumi, and Toko, I can't say we acted as one. Rather, we did nothing as one. We spent the entire time in the gym." She looked down. "Honestly, we are not exactly the types to go running around a school like a gaggle of junior detectives."**

"So instead, you stay in the gym while the rest of us work our butts off?" Junko questioned. "Yeah, that's really fair."

Celeste shrugged. "Well, it's not like our help would've done anything."

"Still, it is better to do something to help rather than nothing!" Taka chastised. "Even if your efforts would turn out fruitless, you could at least say you did something!"

 **"What the hell were you thinking, just sitting around the gym the whole time?" Junko demanded.**

 **"W-Well, it's not like any of you i-invited me along!" Toko defended herself. "Nobody said hey, c-come with us! I blame y-you for leaving me out! I-It's your fault!"**

 **"If you wanted to go with someone, you should've just said something!" Junko retorted.**

"A point to the soldier." Leon spoke in.

Toko glared at him. "L-Like I would w-want to go anywhere with a-any of you. The only p-person I'm willing to b-be with is Master."

Leon turn to Byakuya. "I don't envy you. Not at all."

 **Toko turned away from her. "Hmph. F-Forget it. Like I'd w-want to go anywhere with a dirty s-slut like you."**

That got eyes to widen and more than a few faces to pale before they turned to Mukuro. The soldier has her head down, a dark look in her eye and her hands near her knife.

"What?" The soldier hissed in anger.

Toko paled and hid behind the couch. "I-I'm sorry!" She cried out in fear.

 **That stunned Junko. "Slut….?"**

 **Toko didn't let up. "Your mind is as th-thin as your body. You m-make me sick to my s-stomach."**

"I'm really considering throwing my knife at you."

"I-It was future me!" Toko exclaimed in fear.

 **That got Junko out of her stun state, and got her angry. "I….I don't even know how to react. How can you say something so awful to someone you just met?"**

"That's Toko for you." Hiro sighed. "Always has something to say to someone."

"Except Byakuya." Leon added.

"If Mukuro wasn't disguised as me, she probably would've gutted you by now." Junko mused. "I think that's what happened to the last person who called her names."

Toko squeaked a little in fear at that. Not to self, learn to control her own mouth.

 **"Alright guys, everybody just calm down, okay?" Hiro spoke in. "All this stress is bad for the skin, y'know?"**

 **"Yeah!" Sayaka agreed. "It sounds like you two are so close now you're fighting like sisters!"**

Several sweatdropped at that. "Sayaka, I don't think that's what's going on." Makoto told her hesitantly.

"Huh? Then what is it?" Sayaka questioned, a bit confused.

"A verbal catfight." Mondo answered. "That's what it fucking look like."

 **Makoto sweatdropped. _'I….don't think that's what's going on, Sayaka.'_**

 **Sayaka then spoke up again. "So that's what they have to say, huh?" She rhetorically asked. "Then I guess I'm the only one left." She then started explaining what she had done. "I went and had a look around the dining hall. I found a fridge in the back of the kitchen, and it was overflowing with all kinds of stuff. I guess we don't have to worry about food, at least."**

 **"Sure, for now." Hifumi groaned. "But even with all that, there are fifteen of us. How long can the food last?"**

 **"Y-You can just eat sesame s-seeds or something." Toko said callously.**

 **"Huh?" Was Hifumi stunned response. "What am I, a parakeet?"**

"You really think a big guy like him could just eat seeds?" Mondo questioned Toko.

Toko shrugged. "H-He look like h-he had enough f-food as it is." Toko voiced out. "F-Fatso doesn't look like h-he'll need anything b-big for a while."

"I'm not in hibernation!"

 **"I don't think we have to worry about it." Sayaka reassured them. "All the food gets restocked automatically each day. At least, that's what Monokuma said."**

 **That got the group's attention. "You saw him?!" Junko exclaimed in shock.**

 **"Yeah, he came out of nowhere while I was checking the fridge, told me that, then disappeared again." Sayaka explained. "He was so fast, I can't believe someone could have been moving him around with a remote control."**

That surprised the group. "I guess he wasn't exaggerating about his control systems." Chihiro murmured.

"It seems so." Byakuya agreed, overhearing what Chihiro said.

 **"A weaponized toy that can just appear from nowhere." Chihiro murmured loudly, looking a bit nervous. "I can't tell if we're supposed to be afraid or not."**

"Our future selves should be cautious, at least." Sakura stated. "Who knows what they would do, along with their capabilities."

Mukuro and Kyoko nodded in agreement with the martial artist. Being cautious is always the best course when dealing with an unknown enemy.

 **"But was everything okay?" Hina asked in concern. "He didn't try to like, eat you or anything?"**

Byakuya face palmed. "If you really think that a machine would actually want to eat a person, then you really are an imbecile."

"Sh-Shut up!"

 **"E-Eat her?" Hifumi repeated. Then an odd look entered his eyes. "Um, what do you mean by that? I mean, when you say 'eat', what kind of eating are we talking about?"**

That gained more than a few disturbing looks, and several of the girls scooted away from Hifumi. Sayaka especially. "Seriously dude?" Leon groaned. "Get some self control here. And a cleaner mind."

Hifumi could do nothing but rub the back of his head in embarrassment. Seeing how it turned out, he had to admit, it was a bit creepy.

 **That disturbed Hina a bit. "C-Come on, man!"**

 **"What the hell, fatty?! You're acting like some kind of sleazy drunk dude." Leon told the fanfic creator.**

 **"Not like there's a good kind of drunk dude." Hiro murmured.**

Byakuya sighed. "They're getting off track from this meaningless conversation." The heir said in aggravation.

"Blame Hifumi for being pervy." Leon said, pointing fingers at Hifumi. "Seriously, what caused you to ask that in public?"

"Um, healthy curiosity?"

"More like a mind down in the fucking gutters." Mondo deadpanned.

 **"Hey! Stop screwing around, all of you!" Junko exclaimed in anger, breaking the conversation. "Are you still asleep or something? We're prisoners here! We could all die any second!"**

That started the group a bit. "Why are you getting so angry Mukuro?" Makoto asked her. "Usually, you're more calm and reserved. I know you're acting like Junko, but I doubt she would get angry about this."

Mukuro sighed. "Your guess is as good as mine." She told him. "Maybe the reason might be shown as we progress." Most in the group took that explanation with no trouble.

Kyoko, however, felt suspicious. Her instincts were telling her that something was off. Whether it was from the show or here in the viewing room, she doesn't know. She'll just have to wait and see. But one thing for sure, she's very suspicious of Mukuro right now.

 **"She's right." Mondo agreed. "We can't be makin' stupid jokes right now. We gotta do something, or-!"**

 **Just then, a sharp voice cut through Mondo's sentence. "You're all spending an awful lot of time yelling and carrying on." At that time, Kyoko walked into the dining hall. "Do you really think you can afford to do so? Have none of you accepted the reality of the situation?"**

"So future Kyoko finally showed up." Byakuya announced. "Hopefully, her search will turn out more fruitful than ours."

"I hope so too! Otherwise, there was no point in being so later!" Taka griped.

 **When she entered in the dining, everyone turned to the white haired girl. "Kyoko! Where the heck have you been?!" Taka questioned fiercely. "We already started the meeting without you!"**

 **She didn't say a word. Instead, she went over the table and dropped a piece of paper on it, getting everyone's eyes on it. It looks to be a map for something.**

Several eyes widen. "Is that….?" Hina trailed off.

"A map of Hope's Peak?" Taka questioned in shock. "But where did the future Kyoko get that?"

"Did the mastermind had it laid around or something?" Mondo guessed.

Kyoko disagreed with that guess. "I doubt it. Otherwise, my future self wouldn't have taken as long. Most likely, it was hidden somewhere."

 **"Huh? What's this?" Makoto asked curiously.**

 **"It appears to be a map of Hope's Peak Academy." Was Kyoko's answer.**

 **That shocked everyone. "A map?" Makoto repeated in shock.**

 **"W-What the….?" Taka stuttered, also surprise by the sudden info given to them. "Where did you find this?"**

 **"It doesn't matter where I found it." Kyoko stated.**

 **Taka disagreed. "It DOES matter!" He retorted. "You're really freaking us out right now!"**

"You know, that could get our future selves to be suspicious of you." Celeste pointed out to Kyoko. "I may keep my secret, but I don't hide information to my allies if I want to gain their trust."

Kyoko closed her eyes. Celeste does have a point. But her future self didn't have that same trust in people as she does now since her memories got wiped. So most likely, she was going to keep a lot of secrets, even when she doesn't have to or if it made her look suspicious.

 **"Never mind that." Junko cut in. "What's it mean?"**

 **"Just look at it." Kyoko advised. "The building we're in right now is laid out in precisely the same way as Hope's Peak Academy."**

 **"So what you're saying is….this really is Hope's Peak Academy?" Makoto clarified.**

 **"Well, in terms of its construction, yes." Kyoko answered. "But it looks like it's had a number of strange….renovations done to it."**

"Renovations?" Makoto repeated. "You mean they added some stuff to the school?"

"Well, they added the metal hatch, guns, and metal platings in the school." Chihiro said. "It wouldn't be too surprising to find out they also added more things."

"But how are they able to get those renovations?" Taka questioned. "I doubt this would have gone unnoticed by the public."

 **"Renovations?" Makoto repeated.**

 **"I don't know all the details yet." Kyoko told them. "All I found was details about the first floor."**

 **"But then," Chihiro spoke up. "This really is Hope's Peak. We didn't get kidnapped and taken to some other place."**

 **"So stupid it's not even possible." Mondo growled. "This is where the country's future elite are supposed to come and learn?"**

 **"But if this really is Hope's Peak, where are all the other students?" Hina questioned.**

"And yet another mystery to add to the long list of mysteries." Byakuya sighed.

"Have they died?" Celeste began listed off the possibly. "Maybe at their home? Or maybe they're suffering the same fates in different parts of Hope's Peak? If the mastermind is doing the killing game at the old school building, it's a possibility that the other buildings are being used the same way or not being used at all."

Taka gulped. "What on earth is going to happen to Hope's Peak in the future?"

"Whatever it is, I bet it's not good." Hina said, a bit scared at the possibilities.

Hiro sighed. "Can we not talk about all this negativity? It's making me bummed out."

 **"Hey, come on, guys." Hiro sighed. "Let's stop talking about all this….you know, negative stuff."**

 **"But aren't you worried?" Makoto asked. "Things don't look good."**

 **"Worried? What's there to be worried about?" Hiro asked. "I mean, this was all planned out, right? The people in charge of Hope's put this all together, right?"**

Sighs of exasperation and facepalms went throughout the group. "Can I just fucking punch him? Just once?" Mondo growled. "Cause his stupidity is really getting on my damn nerves."

"Hey! Don't be mean!" Hiro cried out, using his arms to shield his face.

 **He then began to laugh. "Man, if I got stressed every time something like this happened, I'd have ectoplasm shooting out of my mouth! Good things come to those who wait, right? So we just gotta chill and everything'll work itself out!"**

 **That caused Celeste to laugh, which gained the other's attention. "Wh-Why are you laughing? What's so funny?!" Toko questioned.**

"I-I'm wondering the s-same thing." Toko said.

Makoto turned to Celeste. "Celeste, do you know?"

"I have a guess as to why." Celeste stated. "Let's see if I'm correct on it."

 **"I am just happy, that is all." The gambler explained. "It seems that splitting up to investigate was a good idea, after all."**

 **"Haven't you b-been listening?!" Toko exclaimed. "Looking around was a t-total waste of t-time! We d-didn't find a way out, didn't f-find who's behind this. We still have no idea what's g-going on!"**

 **Celeste looked mildly surprise at this. "Huh? Is it not clear to you what's going on?" She questioned. Then, she dropped the blunt and unfortunate truth. "It is perfectly obvious that we have been imprisoned in some secret location, with no way out."**

"And it seems my guess is correct." Celeste stated, not looking surprised. Byakuya, Kyoko, and Mukuro are the same as well. They saw that statement coming a mile away, plus, for Mukuro, her training doesn't let her react to such news.

The others, however, couldn't react as calmly. "N-No, way out? Our o-other selves are stuck there?" Toko questioned fearfully.

"This is isn't good. This is definitely not good." Junko, pretending to freak out, kept repeating.

Mondo, however, couldn't accept that fact. "The hell with no way out of there!" He denied angrily. "How about punching the damn walls until my knuckles bruises.

"Hell yeah! That could make a way out for us!" Leon agreed with Mondo.

Hiro, however, still didn't believe the situation their future selves were in. "Come on guys, this is just a joke. I'm sure there's a way out somewhere, and when we find it they'll congratulate for us for doing so."

Hina, having enough of Hiro's stupidity and stressed everything that had happened, gave an annoyed glare. "Can't you get it through your thick skull that we're not part of some prank?"

Many looked a bit surprise by her irritated question, but honestly, no one could blame her. Never the less, Sakura placed a comforting hand on Hina's shoulder. "Calm down, Hina." The martial artist said softly to her friend. "Calm down."

Hina continue glaring at Hiro before taking a few deep breaths and calming down.

Taka spoke up. "We'll just have to rely on our future selves to find the answers about Hope's Peak, answers that we can use to our advantage."

"He's right." Makoto agreed with the Moral Compass. "We can't let this bring us down, otherwise, the mastermind will already be winning. We have to stay focussed on the positive aspects about this, or we'll end up losing."

Taka's and Makoto's words brought their spirits up. The group kept their thoughts on the fact that they can use this knowledge to their advantage, rather than focus on the possible outcomes.

 **And that's the end. I hope all of you liked this chapter. Again, if you have any ideas on how to do the non-stop debates and the panic talk when I start the trials, let me know. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	12. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P4

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Before we start, I would like to thank you guys for supporting me so far in this story, giving me good reviews and advice for future chapters, and hope it continues. I especially would like to thank Naito Writer for helping me out whenever I ask him, and A Lucky Soldier for beta-reading my chapters. Glad to have the two of you for lending me out in this watching the future fic.**

 **Also, sorry for the update taking a bit longer than usual. Had went to Georgia last weekend, so I didn't have the chance to write much. Also had school to contend with. But here it is. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 11: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 4

 **No one had a response or rebuttal to Celeste's statement. "You didn't h-have to go and s-say that." Toko growled in frustration, holding her head. "I w-was trying trying not to th-think about it. N-No way out….we're t-trapped here. What are w-we supposed to d-do?"**

 **Byakuya smirked. "It's very simple. If you want to leave, you just have to kill-"**

 **"Don't even joke about that!" Junko interrupted in anger.**

Many stared at the Togami heir in disbelief. "Seriously Byakuya? That doesn't help the situation. It totally does not." Leon told him.

Byakuya sighed. "I admit, my future's self was a bit out of line."

"More than a bit." Hina muttered.

 **"Everyone just calm down, please!" Sayaka pleaded to the others. "We need to stop and think about what to do from here."**

 **"There's gotta be 'something' we can do." Leon agreed.**

 **Celeste gave an answer. "All we can do is adapt. Adapt to living our lives here from now on."**

That surprised Celeste a little, but she didn't show it. The others are surprised by this as well. "Wait, we're supposed to just accept living our lives out like that?" Mondo questioned. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Remember that this is my future self, so I can't know everything that she's thinking." Celeste replied easily. "But if I had to guess, it's likely because since she knows escaping seems futile, they might as well adapt to it."

Makoto looked at Celeste as he caught her lie. Since he has gotten to know Celeste, like he did with all his other classmates, he knew that the gambler wouldn't want to be stuck in there. Her dream would be out of reach if she simply complied.

 **"Live here?" Chihiro questioned fearfully. "Are you saying we should just accept it?"**

 **"A lack of adaptability….is a lack of survivability." Celeste stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Survival is not based on who's the strongest or the smartest. It comes down to who can adapt. And as someone who has come out on top more than once, I have a suggestion."**

 **"Huh? What do you mean?" Mondo questioned.**

 **"We all understand that we're trapped here, which means we will be spending the night." Celeste started explaining. "However, you all remember the rules regarding nighttime, right? So regarding this 'nighttime', I think we need to add a rule of our own."**

 _'Ah, so that's what my future self is doing.'_ Celeste realized. She's trying to take control of the situation, making sure no one commits a murder and more importantly, she doesn't become a victim. Since she isn't strong enough to fend off any attackers, she had to make sure that she can get as much safety as possible.

 **"What do you mean?" Makoto asked her.**

 **"Going out at night time should be prohibited altogether." The gambler proposed. "The school regulations doesn't actually tell us not to go out at night. I would like to make it official."**

 **"B-But why?" Toko questioned.**

To make sure any murder plans are limited. That's what Celeste and a few others have deduced. If everyone followed that rule, then potential murders are limited.

 **"The way things are now, every time night comes we will all start to get worried and anxious." Celeste explained. "We will all be afraid that someone might try and come kill us."**

 **"What?!" Sayaka exclaimed in alarm.**

 **"If we have to worry about that night after night for who knows how long, it will wear us down in no time." Celeste continued explaining.**

"So you're suggesting we limit our activity at night as a kind of preventative measure." Sakura deduced.

"The idea has some merit." Kyoko agreed. "However, who's to say that everybody will agree to them? Laws never stopped criminals from forming."

"True, but I think my future self will address that soon." Celeste responded back to Kyoko.

 **Celeste nodded. "However, unlike the other rules, nobody can be forced to comply. We all have to agree to follow it."**

 **"I see what you mean." Junko said in understanding. "But….I think I can agree with that. It's like the little goth lolita said. Without something like that, we're just gonna self-destruct."**

 **Taka then spoke up firmly. "On behalf of all men here, I agree to comply!"**

 **"Hey, you can't just decide to speak for us!" Leon complained.**

"Seriously, let us make our own decision." Leon groaned. Taka does that a lot with the class.

 **"So everyone is in agreement? Good." Celeste said quickly, stopping any potential arguments.**

Byakuya sighed. "I can already tell that this rule isn't going to help. Only a few agreed to that rule verbally, and that won't stop any others from complying."

"Well, even if you're right, at least it'll give us some peace of mind for a while." Makoto said optimistically. "That's something." Byakuya shrugged.

"Perhaps."

 **"Then if you will excuse me…." The gambler stood up from her seat, drawing the attention of the others.**

 **"Huh? Wait, where are you going?" Chihiro asked her.**

 **"It is almost night time. I want to take a shower before it arrives." Celeste answered. "So….goodbye." With that, Celeste left the dining hall with pure elegance in her steps.**

 **After a moment of silence, Hifumi spoke up. "S-So I guess it's pretty obvious where we go from here. It looks like we'll be spending the night."**

"So our future selves have no choice but to spend the night there." Leon sighed. "While we all saw that coming, it's pretty disappointing."

"It would be very anticlimactic if there was a way out the mastermind didn't seal or all the clues are found in that first day." Celeste stated. "Plus, there are plenty of mysteries that can't be solved in a span of one day."

"U-Understatement of the y-year." Toko muttered.

 **"Adaptability." Sakura repeated what Celeste said.**

 **"So, Mr. Chairman," Junko spoke to Taka. "What next? One person already left."**

 **"U-Umm," Taka tried to think of anything else that needed to be said. "Well then, what say we call for an end to today's meeting?! Like she said, it's almost nighttime anyway. We can reconvene first thing tomorrow morning!"**

 **"Do we really have to stay the night here?" Chihiro questioned tearfully.**

 **"We don't have a choice." Junko stated. "We can't go for long without getting some sleep."**

 **Mondo looked down at the table. "So we just have to get up." He sighed.**

 **"That's all f-fine and good for t-today, but what do we d-do tomorrow?" Toko questioned.**

 **Sakura answered that. "Our only option is to split up and look around again, and let everyone know if we find anything."**

"We're just gonna end up empty handed." Hifumi moaned. "Our future selves looked everywhere in the first floor."

"Well, we're not sure if they did so." Chihiro mused. "Remember that we're watching this in Makoto's point of view mainly, and he got knocked out for most of that day."

"So in other words, there might be places where we haven't looked yet." Kyoko concluded from Chihiro said. "And there were still the other floors, where the mastermind may have put some clues there. My future self did say that they made some modifications to the school."

"So there's still some hope left!" Makoto beamed.

 **"Yeah, okay. Let's do that!" Hina agreed with Sakura.**

 **"Then we're done for today?" Junko asked. "Good, I'm exhausted." With that, Junko left the dining hall and the others slowly left as well.**

 **"Makoto, are you ready to call it for today?" Sayaka asked him.**

 **Makoto nodded. "Yeah, let's go." The two then went to their own rooms.**

 **When Makoto got to his room, heavy thoughts were clouding his head. _'Is this really where I'll be staying for the foreseeable future?'_ Shaking off those heavy thoughts, he decided to go to the bathroom.**

 **He tried opening the door, but it didn't let him. 'Huh? Locked?' He thought in confusion. 'But only the girls' bathrooms were supposed to have locks, right?' He tried opening it again, but it didn't open.**

"What the heck?" Taka questioned in confusion. "Like Makoto said, only the girls' bathrooms are supposed to have locks? Why is his door locked?" The others looked confused as well, even Kyoko and Byakuya doesn't have an answer to that.

Hifumi leveled his glasses at this. "Yes, why is Makoto's door locked? Could it be that he's hiding something nobody else should know?" That caused Chihiro to flinch a little.

Makoto, seeing what Hifumi was implying, stood up to face the fanfic creator. "That's not true and you know it, Hifumi!"

"Indeed." Byakuya agreed, coming to the lucky student's aid. "Need I remind you that Makoto is present in the boy's changing room every time to prepare for physical ed? If he were a girl, it would definitely be a problem on his part for us to not notice."

Some in the group were surprised that Byakuya had decided to come to Makoto's aid. Hiro was one of those people. "Dude, are you actually defending Makoto? I guess I was wrong about you a little. You've gotten soft."

That got a scoff from the Togami heir. "I merely want to get this conversation over with so we can get back to the important matter at hand."

"I take it back. He still has a stick up his butt." Hiro muttered.

That got a glare from Byakuya. "Care to repeat that?"

Small beads of sweat formed on the fortune teller's brows. "I said nothing."

 **"It's no use. It's really locked."**

 **"Bzzt! Wrong! Not locked!"**

 **"Holy crap!" Makoto cried out in shock at Monokuma's sudden appearance.**

That also caused the others jump, yelp, and/or cry out in shock. "Holy shit!" Leon cried out. "He came out of nowhere!"

"Guess Sayaka wasn't exaggerating when she talked about it's speed." Makoto said, trying to calm his heart down.

 **"Jeez, talk about an overreaction." Monokuma said. "It's like you saw a ghost or somethin'! Like….some kind of….robot bear….ghost."**

"G-G-Ghost?!" Hiro exclaimed in fear. "There's ghosts here?! Robot ones at that!"

Byakuya felt his eye twitch a little. "No, you idiot. It just mindless babble from the bear."

 **"W-What are you doing here?!" Makoto questioned, trying to calm his heartbeat down.**

 **Ignoring the question, the bear spoke up once again. "Makoto Naegi, this is super duper majorly bad! So bad it's almost magical! Ultra magical awful awful attack!"**

Several of them sweatdropped at the bear's over exaggeration. "A bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?" Taka questioned.

"Understatement of the year, bro." Mondo stated, still flabbergasted at what just transpired.

 **"In fact, I acknowledge that the door to your bathroom has a problem with the doorframe!"**

 **That surprised Makoto, thought not as much as when Monokuma suddenly appeared. "Wait, so the reason it won't open isn't because it's locked? The door just….doesn't fit?"**

"Oh. That explains it then." Leon said, with the others accepting the explanation as well. Even Makoto wasn't surprised by the revelation.

They all learned that Makoto has a lot of bad luck in his life, even Makoto himself accepted it as a part of him. Eventually, trivial things like this stopped surprising the class when it came to the Ultimate Lucky Student of Class 78.

 **"Didn't you see the notice? What, can't you read?" Monokuma said in aggravation. "The bathrooms in the boys' rooms don't have locks! I mean, a lock on the boy's bathroom is kinda pointless, don't you think?"**

"Well, I don't think it's pointless." Chihiro spoke up. "I mean, I'm sure guys don't want anyone barging in when using the bathroom, right?"

"Really?" Junko asked. "Hmm. I didn't think boys needed a lock in a bathroom. Didn't think they had anything to hide."

"No, we do have privates we would like to keep to ourselves." Makoto said with a drop of sweat on his brow.

 **"Well, it's not that it's pointless, I guess. But I'm no expert on the birds and the bees and all that." The bear then changed the subject. "Anyway, there's a little trick to opening this particular ill-fitting door. And that's what I'm here to teach you!**

 **"Okay, ready?" The bear began instructing. "So you just gotta turn the doorknob, then lift up while you pull! Go ahead, give it try!"**

"Is it me, or is Monokuma being strangely helpful right now?" Hifumi questioned.

"I-It's not you." Toko confirmed. "W-What's up with t-that bear?"

"Guess it sees no point for people to struggle with small things like that." Byakuya said with a shrug.

 **"Turn the knob, and the lift the door up while I pull." Makoto murmured to himself, doing as Monokuma instructed. When he did that, the door opened no problem.**

 **Monokuma giggled at this. "See? It opened right up! Isn't that crazy, though? Your door's the only one that doesn't fit quite right! You're supposed to be the Ultimate Lucky Student, right? But looks like you're not lucky at all!"**

"Who would want to bet that Monokuma set that up just so he could make fun of Makoto?" Celeste deadpanned. Most, if not all, of the students raised their hands. "Good. Glad it isn't just me."

"So the mastermind is childish as well?" Kyoko sighed. "Perfect. A sadistic, childish, bully."

"That seems to sum up Monokuma well." Taka agreed.

 **"Anyway, I suddenly don't feel like being here anymore. Bye!" With that, Monokuma disappeared.**

 **"H-Hey! Wait!" But Monokuma was already gone. _'Dammit.'_ Suddenly, a bell started to ring around the school, and soon after, the monitor turned on.**

 **The monitor revealed Monokuma, sitting on a chair, with a drink in his hand and monitors behind him. "Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement. It's now 10 p.m. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited."**

"The doors to the dining hall is prohibited?" Sayaka repeated. "I wonder if there's anything Monokuma is hiding there."

"I wouldn't hold on to that idea too tightly." Kyoko said. "If there was anything to hide there, I'm sure we could've found it during the day time."

"It may just be there to keep late night snackers from going in." Celeste suggested. "A constant supply of food isn't cheap."

 **"Okay then….sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite." With that, the monitor turned off.**

"Alright, that was a bit creepy." Leon stated with a grimace. Several nodded in agreement with him.

 _ **'Look like it's night time.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** _ **'We all promised we wouldn't leave our rooms now.'**_

 **"All I can do now is try and get some sleep." As Makoto mumbled that, he collapsed on the bed. His eyes closed almost immediately, utterly exhausted for the day. _'Today was exhausting. I feel like I spent the entire day staring at a TV, watching movies.'_**

"H-How would you know h-how that feels?" Toko questioned. That got a sheepish chuckle from Makoto.

"My sister and I did that once." Makoto answered. "One time during the summer, we spent the entire day watching movies. Doing nothing but that can surprisingly make you tired, especially your eyes. A different kind of exhaustion from physical sports."

"Hmm. We should test that theory together." Taka thought about out loud. "Have a get together at the weekend and spend the entire day watching movies, each of us choosing one we like."

 ** _'Or like some kind of illusion where I'd been tossed into a made-up fantastical world.'_ Makoto then spoke out loud again. "Yeah, that feels about right." He mumbled. "There's no easy way to just accept the situation we've suddenly been dropped to." With those last words, Makoto fell into slumber.**

 _'Ain't that the truth?'_ Makoto thought sadly. It was hard for the present 78th class to accept what they're seeing, so he could imagine what their future selves are feeling right now.

 **"So this is how the curtain closed on my first day at Hope's Peak Academy." The narrator Makoto spoke up before the scene faded away.**

 **A moment after the screen turned black, the school bell rung once again. The monitor then appeared and turned on, revealing Monokuma once again. "Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!" With that, the monitor turned off.**

"What beautiful day?" Leon dryly stated. "It's not like they can see the outside."

"That bear loves to taunt us, that's for sure." Byakuya said.

 **Slowly, Makoto awakened from his slumber. _'Apparently, it's morning.'_ Makoto thought a bit groggily. _'But thanks to the total lack of windows, there's no way to know for sure.'_**

"I really hope our future selves won't stay there for much longer." Hina shivered. "The thought of not being able to see the sun anymore just makes me shiver."

 **He got up from his bed and moved to the side, his feet on the floor.** _ **'Anyway….what should I do now?'**_ **After thinking about it for a moment, he decided.** _ **'Maybe I should go find Sayaka, and we can figure out where to go from here together. She did say she's my assistant now.'**_

Leon grinned teasingly and took another chance to tease his friend. "Already attached to Sayaka, huh?" Makoto blushed madly at this.

"W-Well, Sayaka is probably the one that I got to know the most out of that situation, and she's one of the friendliest in the group." Makoto defended his future self. "O-Of course my future self will want to be with her."

Sayaka giggled, latching her arms around Makoto's arm again. "I think it's cute you want to be with me." Sayaka stated her opinion. "And I'm sure my future self will accept the company."

Makoto blushed even more at this. Meanwhile, Hina, Kyoko, Mukuro, and Celeste are either frowning, giving Sayaka a glare, or leaking out a bit of killing intent.

Sayaka is going to milk this, they can tell.

 **"Okay, it's decided!" Makoto spoke to himself. "I'm gonna head to her room!" With newfound determination, he left his room and went out. He immediately went to Sayaka's room, which is right by his. He rung the doorbell and waited for Sayaka to answer.**

 **Soon enough, Sayaka opened the door. "Hello?"**

 **He smiled. "Good morning, Sayaka."**

 **Immediately, a bright smile entered her face. "Oh, Makoto! Perfect timing!"**

"Look like Sayaka had the same idea." Junko commented. "The two of you really do stick like glue, even with the memory wipe."

The two blushed a little from her comment.

 **"Huh?" Was Makoto's response.**

 **"Listen, I have a favor to ask…." Sayaka told him, looking away.**

 **"A favor?"**

"Hmm, I wonder what that favor would be, hmm?" Hifumi suggested slyly.

That got Sayaka's and Makoto's blush to increase dramatically. "It's not anything like that!" Sayaka denied. "And I suggest you to stop implying things like that in the future Hifumi!"

As she said that, she gave a polite smile, but clearly, it was anything but a smile. The fanfic creator gulped a little in fear. "U-Understood!"

 **"I was just getting ready to head out." She continued. "If it's okay, would you like to come with me? Maybe we could talk."**

 **Makoto nodded. "Yeah, sure. Where are you headed?"**

 **"Oh….um…." Sayaka suddenly became nervous. "I've been thinking that….there might be something around here I could use for self-defense."**

That alarmed everyone. "Wait a minute, what do you mean for self defense?" Taka questioned Sayaka. "Does your future self think that one of us might try to kill?"

"If Sayaka isn't planning to become a murderer herself." Celestia suggested quietly.

Sayaka fidgeted at the stares from her classmates, and quickly started explaining. "Well, this is my future self saying that, so I don't know for sure what she's thinking. But, I'm sure she's just thinking about the person who kidnapped all of us."

Some of the others continued staring at her intently, not buying it. Makoto, however, being the trusting friend, believed her claim. "Yeah, we don't know if our kidnapper would strike or not. I'm sure that's what the future Sayaka is thinking."

The more suspicious classmates, such as Byakuya, Kyoko, and Celeste, couldn't help but sigh or roll their eyes at Makoto's trustful nature. Nevertheless, they backed down for now.

 **That alarmed Makoto. "Self defense?"**

 **"Well, I mean," Sayaka began explaining herself. "Whoever's keeping us here could show up and attack us any time. You never know."**

 _ **'Whoever trapped us here, whoever presented us with rules for murdering each other,'**_ **Makoto thought with dread.** _ **'Whoever put us in this insane position….She's right-we never know when they might attack.'**_

 **"So I just….want to be able to protect myself no matter what happens." She finished explaining.**

"Look like we were right about Sayaka's thoughts." Makoto said, smiling at Sayaka.

Sayaka smiled as well, but it doesn't reach her cheeks. Really, unlike Makoto, she had a feeling that her other is trying to get a weapon because she suspected the others. Maybe even she was the one thinking about killing.

Few of the other students shared this thought as well. Byakuya couldn't help but roll his eyes at Makoto's trusting nature. _'He's just asking for someone to use him.'_

Celeste and Kyoko, on the other hand, were worried for Makoto. He had a lot of trust in Sayaka, and if the singer betrayed him, it will definitely affect him badly. _'For Makoto sake, I hope I'm wrong.'_ The two of them thought simultaneously.

Mukuro is also concerned for her crush while Junko is mentally giggling in glee. If Sayaka drops into despair, Makoto will also be on his way to despair. 'Let's see if he can stay positive from that.'

 _ **'A weapon to protect herself.'**_ **Makoto idly thought.** _ **'Well….now that I think about it, that display case in the gym entryway had a bunch of stuff. Maybe….'**_

 **"Oh, the gym? Okay, let's go!" Sayaka said, suddenly interrupted his thoughts.**

 **That startled Makoto once again. "A-Again?"**

 **"Like I said, I'm psychic." She responded back. And like the other times, she started giggling. "Come on, I'm just kidding! Seriously, I just have amazing intuition."**

 ** _'Am I really so easy to predict?'_ Makoto couldn't help but think that.**

"Yes, you are."

"Very easy."

"Like an open book."

Makoto chuckled sheepishly from the answers given by Celeste, Kyoko, and Byakuya.

 **He shook those thoughts out. _'Anyway, we should head to the gym.'_**

 **The two them walked to the gym, and soon enough, they got to the trophy room. "Here we go." Sayaka said. "I might be able to find something to protect myself with." She turned her gaze to the trophy case, where several items are being held. "Yeah, I'm sure I'll find something in the display case I can use."**

"What could be used as a weapon in there?" Hiro asked. He was also wondering why would they search for a weapon. It's not like anybody is going to attack them. "I mean, they're just trophies."

"You'd be surprised." Mukuro spoke up. "There are many things that could be used to defend one's self or even kill a person. Whether it's blunt or sharp, if it's durable, you can use it to fight in the battlefield."

"Speaking from personal experience, sis?" Junko asked her.

Mukuro nodded. "While it doesn't happen often, there are times where I needed to improvise."

 **Makoto also held his gaze at the trophy case. The two of them looked around it, trying to see anything they could use as a weapon, until Makoto's eyes landed on a gold sword. _'Is this….a sword? Oh, no, I think it's just a replica. Still, it's pretty impressive. It's completely covered in gold coating.'_**

"Could that sword be used as a weapon?" Mondo asked Mukuro.

The soldier nodded. "Mainly for defense, since it's just a replica. You would be able to fend off most of us here, except the ones adept in some form of combat."

 **Makoto slowly went to grab the sword, only to pull back when he felt something liquid on his hand. He looked at his palm only to see that the gold coating was all over his hand. "Jeez! I barely touched it and I got that gold stuff all over my hands."**

"That sword still isn't dry yet?" Leon questioned in disbelief. "What is that gold made out of?"

"And how did they carried it without any of that gold coming off?" Chihiro wondered.

 **Sayaka went over and looked at his hands. "Wow, you're right." She said in surprise. "Your hands are totally gold! Even just for self-defense, I think it's a little…."**

 **Makoto sighed. "Well, it's still better than nothing, I guess."**

 **"You should take it with you!" Sayaka suggested. "It might help liven up the your room a little."**

"You're gonna let Makoto take it?" Junko questioned. "I thought you were looking for a weapon."

Sayaka shrugged. "I think my future self didn't see much use for a sword replica."

"You think so?"

 **"But I guess you'd better be careful with it." Sayaka giggled. "You should wrap it in newspaper or something." Sayaka then looked at the rest of the trophies, humming. "I don't see anything I could really use for self-defense…." She sounded a bit disappointed.**

 **"H-Hey, don't worry about it!" Makoto reassured her. "It's not like you need it right away, right? Plus, if anything were to happen…."**

 **"When the time comes…..I'll protect you." The luckster declared.**

 **That surprised Sayaka. "You'll….protect me?"**

Makoto and Sayaka, once again, blushed at this. Makoto blushed from embarrassment even further when his friends started teasing him. "Damn Makoto, didn't know you were such a ladies man." Leon cooed.

"I agree. Our luckster is our little casanova." Mondo joined in on the teasing. Hiro grinned teasingly at Makoto as well.

Byakuya couldn't help but smirk at the lucky student. "How noble of your future self."

Sakura and Chihiro chuckled at their friend's embarrassment.

Toko, meanwhile, tried to picture Makoto as some type of bodyguard. After a moment, she shook the thought away, not being able to form the picture. His gentle nature and small demeanor made it near impossible.

 **A blush and a small shy smile formed on the Pop Sensation's face. "Thank you for saying that." Sayaka said softly. "If I got you on my side, I guess I don't need a weapon after all!" She giggled as she said that.**

Taka couldn't help but tear up in admiration at Makoto's declaration. "I was right to call you my professor!" Taka stated passionately, speaking to Makoto. He then spoke to everyone else. "We should all follow his example! To help one another in such a time!"

Hifumi disagreed with that statement. "If it leads to an early grave, I won't do that. I want to live my full life."

Aoi, who was feeling very jealous of Sayaka, use that comment to vent it out. "So we'll watch your back when you're in trouble, and you just cower away if the situation was the other way around?"

"Did you forget that Mondo nearly got blown up if Kyoko haven't warned him?"

"That's a good example to what I said, you moron!"

Meanwhile, Junko sniffed and wiped away a fake tear. "That so beautiful! You sound like one of those fairy tale knights that want to protect the princess, Makoto. That or one of those cheesy soap drama's." Sayaka blush even further at the image. The image of Makoto being her knight and protector.

"He would be an interesting knight, if I ever came into danger." Celeste commented on in thought.

Kyoko and Mukuro, meanwhile, stayed silent. They felt very jealous of how close the future Sayaka is getting to Makoto. And they'll continue to get closer, if nothing continues to happen. Though the possibility of something bad happening does concern them.

 _ **'That mysterious smile….'**_ **Makoto thought fondly.** _ **'I can tell it comes from the heart. It makes me feel at ease. It makes me feel that I can do anything.'**_

Sayaka couldn't help but glance at Makoto, who's tomato red from the teasing of his male friends. Does her smile really affect him that way? Does it really make him feel at ease? The thought made her heart flutter.

 **"Okay, we can stop looking for a weapon, then." Sayaka said. "But as long as we're here, let's hang out for a bit more."**

"And so the bond between Makoto and Sayaka deepens." Hiro announced.

That got the two mentioned pair even more embarrassed as well as getting Hina and Mukuro to glare at him, and got Kyoko and Celeste to let out a bit of killing intent towards the Clairvoyant.

Amazingly enough, Hiro manage to ignore the hostility. He felt it was worth teasing his friend.

 **And that's the end. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. A lot of fluffy moments between Makoto and Sayaka, huh? For those who love it, enjoy it while you can. If you've played or watch the game, or watched the anime, then you know what's going to happen in the future. Junko is gonna be drooling waterfalls at the horror and despair. Maybe even faint.**

 **Next up, they're going to be watching Sayaka's and then we'll begin some of the free time events. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**


	13. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P5

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Now, a few of you asked me about gifts, and all I will say is that I will think about it. Some of the ideas for it are plausible. Now, let's get onto this chapter. This will have Sayaka's breakdown, and the beginning of the free time events. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 12: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 5

 **"Umm," Sayaka tried to think of something to talk about with Makoto, but nothing seemed to come up. "I know I said that I wanted to talk to you, but now that we're here….I don't really know what to talk about." She looked down. "And I was the one who invited you to come with me too. Sorry…."**

 **"It's okay." Makoto quickly reassured. "I mean, if there's nothing to talk about, then we can just not talk, right?"**

 **"Huh?"**

 **"You don't have to force yourself to talk." The luckster explained. "We can just, I dunno….stare off into space or whatever."**

"Stare off into space?" Byakuya repeated, raising an eyebrow at Makoto. "That sounds incredibly boring."

"Well, I don't think my future self wanted to force a conversation out of her." Makoto explained sheepishly. "So silently hanging out would be a good option."

"And who's to say I wouldn't like the idea?" Sayaka supported her friend and crush.

 **"Stare off into space….?" Sayaka pondered the idea.**

 **"Oh, but you're probably super bored!" Makoto hastily added. "Just standing around doing nothing."**

 **Sayaka quickly spoke up. "No, it's not that it's boring. It's just," The idol took a bit of time to find the right words. "I've never really done it before. I don't have a lot of time to just….do nothing."**

 **"I-I guess that makes sense." Makoto said in a bit of understanding. "You're not a normal high school student like me. You've got tons of stuff to do every day."**

"So for me, doing nothing is like a vacation." Sayaka told them. "So the idea is far from bad."

"How much do you really have to do?" Hiro asked curiously. "You don't just sing all day, do you?"

Sayaka shook her head. "No, not all day. Our vocal cords would get tired. Have to do stuff like magazines, photo shoots, talk shows, etc."

 **Sayaka was silent for a moment, in thought. Then, she spoke up. "Hey, um….this is kinda out of nowhere, but," She turn her eyes towards him. "Makoto, do you have a dream?"**

 **Makoto was a bit surprise of the question. "Well….what about you, Sayaka? What's your dream? I would like to hear…."**

Junko raised an eyebrow. "Avoiding the question, are you now?"

"N-No! It isn't like that!" Makoto denied. "My future self was just curious. The question came out of the blue."

"Well, what is your dream?" Sayaka asked him. "I think all of us would like to hear it."

"Yeah. Several of us have our dreams clear to the world." Leon stated. "But we can't even guess what your dream could be."

"Oh. um," Makoto rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of what to say. "I haven't really thought about it all that much. Not much I could really do. But I guess I wanted to it be something where I can help others, make people feel happy and hopeful at least."

His answer brought a few smiles across the room. "That's not bad at all." Kyoko said. "There are plenty of careers where you could fulfill that role. And it suits you."

Sayaka nodded in agreement. "Yep. Your positive outlook is infectious."

Makoto blush a little at the praise from the two girls, and stayed silent.

 **"I….my dream is," Sayaka began. A smile formed on her lips. "I've always wanted to be a star, as long as I can remember. I grew up without a mother, you know, and my dad worked really late every night. I was always home alone. I was just a kid, you know? So I was really lonely."**

 **"But that all changed when I saw a pop star on TV for the first time." She continued. "She was so pretty, like a princess. And she could sing, and dance, but more than anything else, there was her smile. Looking at her smile, I could feel my loneliness melting away. I decided that's what I wanted to be someday. I wanted to give that kind of encouragement to others. Eventually, the became my dream."**

"Wow," Hina said, some tears forming in her eyes. "That was beautiful."

"Your dream to become a singer sounds very sincere and selfless Sayaka." Chihiro complimented. "And now you're living your dream."

Sayaka blushed. "Thank you, you guys."

Makoto smiled at her. He heard her story some time ago, so it wasn't his first time hearing this. Still, he couldn't help but feel happy for Sayaka. To be able to complete a lifelong dream is amazing.

 **Makoto was in awe of that story. "That's so amazing, though." He said. "You were able to actually fulfill your lifelong dream. Honestly, it's really incredible."**

Sayaka smiled. Hearing it from Makoto, who's always polite and sincere with whatever he's saying, is nice. Made her feel like what she did to make her dream happen was worth it even more.

 **Sayaka was silent for a moment. Then, she spoke, looking serious. "I did whatever it took to reach that dream. I mean it. Even some things that….weren't so pleasant."**

Sayaka stiffened at this. Is her other going to reveal those things? Makoto, seeing her stiffen, grabbed her hand and gave a soft squeeze, silently reassuring. The pop idol relaxed slightly at this, but didn't relax fully.

"Huh? What do you mean, things that weren't so pleasant?" Taka questioned her.

Sayaka stayed silent, not wanting to answer. Fortunately, Makoto knew this and helped her out. "It's something she doesn't to talk about Taka." Makoto politely told him. "Let just focus on this for right now."

Taka nodded and put his eyes back to the screen while Sayaka smiled at Makoto gratefully.

 **"I honestly believed that as long as you kept chasing your dreams, someday they may come true." Sayaka stated passionately. "But to do that, you can't take your eyes off that dream, not even for a second. Even if sometimes it's a bad dream….whether you're awake or asleep, to make your dream a reality, you have to keep your gaze fixed on it no matter what."**

"That's a rather….focused view." Taka said, not knowing what to think about Sayaka's philosophy.

"M-More like obsessed." Toko disagreed.

Sayaka shook her head. "No, it's not obsession." Sayaka denied. "It's keeping your eyes towards the goal."

 **"In that world, if you lose focus for even a split second, you get left behind." She continued. "You have to keep on swimming against the current, without even taking time to breathe. That's the kind of world my dream lives in."**

"T-The music biz really that tough?" Leon questioned hesitantly. "Well, I'm glad I got back to baseball. Don't know if I could handle the stress."

"You definitely wouldn't." Sayaka couldn't help but muttered. You don't survive in the music business with that kind of laid-back attitude. That's what she believes.

If only she met the Ultimate Musician.

 **"I-Is it really that tough?" Makoto asked nervously. "Is it not fun at all?"**

 **"Oh no, don't get the wrong idea." Sayaka reassured. "It's super fun! But….that's exactly what scares me."**

 **"Huh?" That's becoming a catchphrase for Makoto.**

 **"I enjoy every single day I wake up and get to do what I do." Sayaka told him. "Everyone in our group is amazing. We're rivals in a way, but they all mean so much to me. We've performing together since we were young, so they're all like family to me. Without them, I would've given up on my dream a long time ago. To work together, and fulfill our dreams together, has brought me so much happiness." As she told him this, the smile got back on her face at the fond memories.**

 **But then the smile disappeared and she became serious once again. "But that's the thing that scares me the most. If the world gets tired of us, then what happens? What happens to us? Then the dream dies, those wonderful days come to an end, and everyone goes their separate ways."**

"Why am I getting sudden chills?" Hifumi questioned, a bit nervous at how Sayaka is acting.

"You seem to take your dream seriously." Byakuya remarked to Sayaka.

Sayaka looked down, away from everyone. "I worked hard to fulfill that dream." She explained seriously. "For it to die, it wipes away all that hard work."

 ** _'S-Sayaka,'_ Makoto thought in alarm. He noticed something. _'She's trembling. She must be terrified. She worked so hard, sacrificed so much, to get where she is. She must be terrified of losing it.'_**

"Is that true Sayaka?" Hina asked in concern.

The idol nodded. "Makoto hit it right in the nail Just the thought terrifies me." She admitted. She turned to Makoto. "It's only the first day, and you're able to read me well."

"Well, I guess deadly situations do tend to get people to bond faster." Makoto said, smiling sheepishly. Sayaka smiled.

"Guess so."

 **"So that's the reason I decided to come to Hope's Peak." Sayaka said.**

 **That got Makoto's attention. "What do you mean?"**

 **"Well….they say that if you graduate from here, success is basically guaranteed. Which means I could keep on performing with my best friends, forever and ever." She explained. "At least, that's what I thought. I really did believe that, but…."**

 **"...now we're trapped here, with no way out. They're probably waiting for me," An obsessed and terrified look entered Sayaka's eyes. "While I'm in here, the world out there is forgetting about me. Minute by minute, we're all disappearing. But still…."**

 **"Sayaka….?"**

 **"I can't afford to be stuck in here!" Sayaka shouted, startling Makoto.**

That startled the others as well. "Okay, scratch that Toko, this is obsession right here." Leon remarked.

"This situation is affecting future Sayaka more than we thought." Mondo stated. "That look is scaring me a little."

Sayaka's hand is gripping onto Makoto's, having a hard time watching this. Makoto gripped back as tightly as he could in reassurance.

Kyoko and Byakuya narrowed their eyes at the future Sayaka. Could she end up trying to murder somebody? Could her desire to keep her dream lead to her being the first one to kill?

Mukuro narrowed eyes at both the future Sayaka and Sayaka here. She better not try to use Makoto or worse, try to kill him. She doesn't think she could hold herself back if the latter happens.

Junko is analyzing the scene in front of her. Seems like Sayaka will be the first to kill. She just need one more push, and she would be on her way to killing.

 _ **'She sounds….desperate. Really desperate.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'But, I understand why she feels that way. Trapped here, the dream she put so much effort into is on the verge of disappearing forever. It isn't something I can fix with a few kind words. I can't imagine how much weight she's carrying.'**_

Sayaka gain a small smile. "You're really understanding Makoto." Sayaka said softly. "Most would think I'm overreacting. But you exactly understand how I feel."

Makoto smiled at her. "Well, you're my friend. Of course I understand you." Makoto replied back to her. "I would be a crappy friend if I didn't."

 **The pop idol, after that outburst, manage to get back control of her emotions. "Ah-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to complain." Sayaka apologized. "I kinda killed the mood, huh?"**

 **"No, not at all." Makoto reassured.**

 **"I'm really sorry." Sayaka apologized once again.**

 **The two were silent once again. "Um, Sayaka," Makoto spoke up, wanting to change the subject for the moment. To help her feel better. "Actually, are you hungry? Before we head back, why don't we go to the dining hall and get some food?"**

 **The girl was silent for a moment. "So," Sayaka finally spoke. And then, her mood went a quick 180, from sad to happy. "You want me to make us something to eat? I might not look like it, but I'm actually a pretty good cook!"**

The more observant people couldn't help but notice the quick 180 of Sayaka's mood change. _'So she's wearing a mask.'_ Kyoko, Celeste, Junko, Mukuro, and Byakuya thought.

Sayaka felt a foreboding thought coming to her head. She feels that her future self might do something drastic. And her intuition is pretty accurate.

 **"Wow, really? What's your specialty?" Makoto asked curiously.**

 **"Chili oil." She stated with a straight face.**

"Huh?!" Was the response of the others. Mondo then spoke up. "That's not food, that's a fucking condiment!"

Sayaka giggled. "Relax. I'm sure it was a joke." She reassured them.

 **"You mean the condiment?!"**

 **Sayaka giggled at that. "Just kidding!" She burst out laughing, effectively getting rid of her early mood.**

 _ **'Her mood went a complete 180.'**_ **Makoto couldn't help but thin** **k.** _ **'But how did it happen so fast? It was almost like a mask, like some kind of neutral expression.'**_

Makoto looked at Sayaka. It's true, her happy expression was like a mask, the first couple of weeks. After, she slowly opened up to him and show other parts of herself behind that mask.

"Hmm, could it be that she's bipolar?" Hiro guessed.

That got Sayaka to slowly turn towards him, a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face. "I'm sorry, I'm what?" A dark aura surrounded her.

Hiro yelped and held his arms up in front of him. "Nothing, I said nothing!"

 **Shaking those thoughts away, the two of them went to the dining hall. When they got there, they saw only a couple of people in the dining hall.**

 **When they entered, Makoto noticed Junko laying her head down at one of the tables. That got him a bit curious. "I'm gonna check on Junko for a moment." Makoto told Sayaka. "Is that okay with you?"**

 **Sayaka nodded. "Sure. I'll make breakfast while you're talking." Makoto smiled at her gratefully before going to Junko's spot in the dining hall.**

"Look like you're going to get your moment with Makoto, Mukuro!" Junko whispered to her sister, causing the soldier to blush.

 **"Hey, Junko, are you alright?" Makoto asked in concern.**

 **He received a groan in response. And slowly, the fashionista lifted her head up. "God, I am seriously freaking bored….!" She moaned. "I'm gonna die….I'm gonna die from being so bored! I'm infected! I've got terminal boredom disease!"**

"Wow, you've really got Junko's personality pat down." Leon commented. "I would totally see her acting like this here."

Mukuro nodded. "She is my sister, after all. I should know enough about her to act like her."

"Cool! Maybe you're not such a useless sister!" Junko said brightly, causing the soldier to blush a little once again.

 **"I-Is it really that bad….?" Makoto asked hesitantly.**

 **"I just hate being bored. Hate it!" Junko declared. "I never noticed how much I hate it! But once we got trapped in here, it finally hit me!"**

 ** _'That's….pretty recent.'_ Makoto thought to himself.**

 **Junko continued. "I'd rather be living homeless in the street than stuck in here!"**

 **"Homeless?"**

 **"Yeah, you know! Like, the hobo life!" Junko explained. "I've done it before, you know."**

"Huh?!" Was the response from several, due to the disguised Mukuro's statement. Everyone turned to the soldier, as well as her fashionista sister. "Is this true?" Taka questioned.

Junko was the one to answer. "Yep! Totally lived the hobo life!"

"And you ended up becoming a fashionista?" Sayaka questioned, a bit stuned. "The Ultimate Fashionista at that."

"Well, the hobo life didn't diminish my natural beauty." Junko stated, getting into her royally arrogant persona. "Any fool with eyes can see how perfect I am." That got Toko grumbling a bit in bitter jealousy.

"At least the two of you managed to get out of that life." Makoto said, smiling. He wasn't affected by the sudden info, since he heard it from Mukuro at one point. "I assume you did, considering the two of you managed to go to France for vacation."

Mukuro nodded. "You assume correctly. We eventually lived more comfortably."

 **"You have?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock.**

 **"Yeah. It's….a long story." Junko said, not getting into details.**

 **"And now you're a model?!"**

 **"Well….that's a long story, too."**

 ** _'How many 'long stories' do you have?'_ Makoto questioned to himself.**

"I still haven't gotten the story." Makoto mentioned to Mukuro.

The soldier sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Was her answer. "And we don't have the time to tell it right now."

 **"Seriously, if I had to choose between staying here and being homeless again, gimme the street!" By now, Junko propped herself up on her elbows.**

 **"I….guess I can understand that." Makoto said. "I mean, you're probably in more danger here than there…."**

 **"Oh hell no!" Junko refuted. "Homeless is totally dangerous! You never know when a pack of wild animals might show up."**

"Wild animals?" Hifumi questioned in confusion.

"She means people willing to attack you." Junko informed him.

 **"Wild animals?"**

 **"Oh, I don't mean literally." Junko reteriated. "I mean people who attack the weak, who wants to hurt you. The world's full of animals like that, y'know?"**

"Ain't that the fucking truth?" Mondo grumbled. He've seen much of that while with his gang.

"Well, I think it's safer living on the street than trapped in a building." Leon said. "At least you have more open space to escape your attacker."

 **"But I think that having to live like that made me way stronger." Junko said, her voice getting a bit softer.**

 **Makoto couldn't help but notice that change of tone. _'Hearing someone with actual experience talk like that really has a lot weight to it.'_**

"Okay, that sounds like something Mukuro would say." Hifumi commented. "Getting out of character there Ms. Ikusaba."

"Oh come on Mukuro! You could at least stay in character, can't you?" Junko complained. Mukuro looked sheepish at this.

 **"Sorry, that kinda got weird, huh?" Junko said, getting out of that serious state. "All I was trying say is….when the hell are we gonna get out of here?!"**

 **She then started shouting at one of the cameras."Hey, whatever dumb bastard trapped us in here, are you listening?! When are you gonna let us OUT?! Just tell us what we gotta do to get out of here! Hell, you can even just tell me! I know how to keep a secret!"**

The group got taken aback by her shouting. "Okay, that was fucking unexpected." Mondo bluntly stated.

"Did you really think that shouting would work?" Byakuya questioned Mukuro with a raised eyebrow. "Even for acting, it was a bit much."

Mukuro didn't show any embarrassment. "Okay, I admit, it might've been a bit much."

"Maybe she was trying to recover from that bouts of seriousness." Junko suggested with a chirp.

 **Silence, along with some stares from the few people, was met with her shouting. "Nothin' huh? Pisses me off." Junko grumbled, laying back down on the table.**

 **Makoto chuckled. "Well, I mean….there's no way they'd make it that easy." When the two got silent, a thought came up to Makoto. "But listen….you're not thinking of doing anything….drastic, are you?"**

 **"Drastic?" Junko questioned. Then realization hit her eyes. "Oh, you mean the whole 'kill someone' thing? Haha, Don't worry, I would never kill someone!"**

"Yeah, r-real reassuring when it comes from a mercenary." Toko said sarcastically.

Mukuro didn't hesitate to speak. "I would only kill if ordered to, not if I want to." She stated. "No matter the situation, I only kill if the mission requires me to."

"And since you aren't ordered to kill anybody to escape, you won't do it?" Makoto questioned. Mukuro nodded.

"Exactly."

 **She then grew a worried look. "What, do I look like I would? Do I seriously look like a killer?!"**

 **"N-No, that's not what I meant." Makoto quickly reassured. "Really, you don't."**

 **"Right? I don't, right?!" Junko reiterated.**

"Worried there, huh sis?" Junko questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Well, it's Makoto, so I don't think you have to worry. Most likely, he's just worried about you."

"Yeah, I agree. I think future me is just worried." Makoto agreed. That got a blush from Mukuro.

 **"But anyway, are you saying you were worried about me?" A small blush was gain on her feature. "Gotta say, Makoto….that's kinda cute."**

That caused Mukuro to blush even more while Makoto blushed a little as well. "Kinda cute, huh?" Junk grinned teasingly. "You know, you didn't have to say that in order to be like me."

"You're enjoying teasing her, aren't you?" Makoto questioned, the blush still on his face.

Junko nodded. "Very."

 **"You almost killed me with cuteness there!"**

 **"...Huh?"**

 **"C'mon, I'm just screwing with you!" Junko waved off. "You didn't take it serious, did you?! But ya know….there's something about you. I'm not getting sick of talking to you, like I do with most people. Let's hang out again, 'kay? Ehehe!" With that, the fashionista got up and walked away.**

"What do you mean by that?" Makoto asked Mukuro curiously.

The soldier smiled slightly. "Well, there's something about you that makes me want to talk to you more. That makes me more relaxed around you."

"Really?" He didn't really get what was so great about him. He's as normal as normal can be, if only a bit more positive than others.

"Really." Mukuro confirmed.

 **Makoto watched as Junko playfully walked out of the lunch room. "I….still don't get her." He admitted to himself. _'Am I getting played, somehow….?'_**

Mukuro shook her head. "I wouldn't do that. I'm not the type to mess with someone's head."

"I know." Makoto said, not disagreeing. "But your future self is disguised as Junko, and she seems the type to do so!"

"Aw! That's so mean Makoto!" Junko pouted, getting into her cutesy persona for a moment.

 **The scene then changed to Makoto in his room, sitting on his bed, with the fake sword in his room. _'The only thing in my room is….a fake sword covered in gold.'_ Makoto thought blankly. _'All it does is make me feel that much more uncomfortable.'_**

 **He then laid back on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. As he does, the conversation he had with Sayaka this morning replayed in his head. _'Even if I understand where her desperation is coming from, I can't relate to it.'_ He can't help but think in frustration. _'The pressure she's under is way different from anything a normal high schooler like me go through. She didn't just stumble into the school the way I did. So I can't say I feel things the way she does.'_**

 _ **'Compared to her….no, compared to everyone else here….there's no doubt I just don't match up.'**_ **Makoto continued.** _ **'I guess that might explain my own frustration.'**_

"I think not matching up with anyone can be a good thing." Kyoko reassured her friend. "You won't have strong motives to kill like the others most likely would. Having no reason in attending Hope's Peak means no past dragging you down."

Makoto blinked before smiling a little. "I haven't thought of it like that." Makoto admitted. "I guess it means it's a good thing that I don't share Sayaka's frustration."

"A very good thing." Sayaka herself asserted.

 **Shaking those thoughts off, he decided to go exploring. _'I don't feel like standing in my room all day.'_ With that in mind, he got up and went to the door, hopefully to find any clues about this place and possibly a way out.**

 **However, as he open the door, he was met with an already familiar blue-haired friend. "Oh! Sayaka!" Makoto said in surprise.**

"Oh come on!" Hina whined quietly. "Can't any of us get some time with Makoto?"

Sakura could only smile in amusement at her friend and rub her back in reassurance. "Relax Hina." Sakura said softly. "I'm sure you'll get your time with him."

"I hope so." Hina pouted. "Cause Sayaka is hogging all the time."

Sayaka, as if she heard her, smiled cheekily at Hina. The swimmer growled a little in response.

 **"Umm, Makoto?" Sayaka spoke up nervously. "Do you think you could make time for the two of us to talk?"**

 **"Wh-What's wrong? Why are you being so formal?" Makoto asked in concern for his friend. As he asked that, he walked into the hallway and closed the door behind him.**

 **"W-Well, it's just," Sayaka took a deep breath before speaking once again. "I guess that was kind of formal, but it's just because I know I can count on you."**

 **"...Huh?"**

 **"Having you by my side really makes me feel a lot better." Sayaka stated. "If you weren't here with me, I just don't know what I'd do. I'd be lost. I hate that we had to meet again under such awful conditions, but….I'm relieved you're with me." The relief is evident in her voice.**

Makoto blushed once again. The future's Sayaka words gave him a fluttery feeling, but also makes him feel embarrassed. Sayaka blushed as well, embarrassed about her thoughts being revealed like that.

"So, are you gonna invite us to the wedding?" Mondo teased, causing the two to blush harder.

"The two of you do look cute together." Chihiro giggled. Kyoko, Mukuro, Celeste, and Hina refrained themselves from giving Chihiro annoyed glances or glares. She's too sweet for something like that.

 **"Sayaka," Makoto breathed out. A blush spread on his face. _'Hearing her say that….it's nice, but kind of embarrassing at the same time.'_**

Sayaka, though still blushing, couldn't help but giggled at Makoto's thought.

 **"I….know how you feel." Makoto managed to say to her. "You being here is what saved me."**

 **"R-Really?" Sayaka said in surprise, a blush formed on her face. A giggle came out of her mouth. "Thank you for the flattery."**

 **Makoto mentally shook his head.**

 _ **'No, Sayaka. That smile of yours really did saved me.'**_

By now, Makoto is wondering why his face isn't permanently red yet while Sayaka's blush kept getting bigger. "It's really sweet of you to think that." Sayaka said, smiling softly.

Kyoko, Hina, Mukuro, and Celeste are stewing in jealousy. It's clear that the future Makoto is quite taken with Sayaka. 'I hope my future self manages to let herself open up to Makoto soon.' Kyoko thought.

 _'Come, future me, show Makoto that you are the better woman.'_ Celeste thought.

 _'Come on, let my future self have some time with Makoto!'_ Hina whined.

 _'...I hope my future self gets some more time with him.'_ Mukuro thought with a small blush.

 **"But it's kind of strange, you know?" Sayaka asked rhetorically. "I never thought I'd get a chance to really talk to you like this. All through middle school, you never talked to me. In fact, you never even looked at me."**

 **"It's because you were a celebrity. I couldn't just go around staring at you….." Makoto explained himself. Then something hit him. "Wait, how do you know I never looked at you?"**

That got some minds clicking. "Now that Makoto mentioned it, how did you know that?" Taka questioned. "The two of you never made previous interactions."

"Maybe Celeste was on too something about Sayaka stalking him." Junko suggested slyly. Sayaka blushed.

"I wasn't!" She denied.

 **"Because I looked at you all the time." Was her answer.**

 **"...Huh?"**

"This evidence suggest otherwise."

"I'm telling you, I wasn't." Sayaka pouted. "My future self is going to explain herself."

 **"I was always looking for an opportunity to talk to you." She clarified.**

 **That surprised Makoto. "You….wanted to talk to me?"**

 **"But since I always had so many people around me, we ended up graduating without saying a word." She said in disappointment. "That was one of my biggest regrets."**

 **"But….why me?" Makoto asked, wanting an answer.**

"Th-That's what we want to know." Toko stated. "Wh-Why would an idol want to talk to a c-common boy?"

"I admit, my curiosity is piqued as well." Byakuya stated, one of the few times he agreed on something with Toko. "You did say your future self was going to explain, did you not?"

"Yep." Sayaka confirmed. "And it looks like she's about to."

 **"Do you remember during our first year of junior high, that huge bird wandered into the school pond?" Sayaka asked him. "It was like out of a fairy tale. The turtle once every million years, the bird once every thousand."**

 **Makoto thought about it for a moment before it clicked. "It was a crane, right? It just walked right into the pond." Makoto remembered.**

 **"That's right!" Sayaka confirmed. "That what it was. It was so big, the teacher had no idea what to do." The she smiled. "But you led it into the forest behind the school. You helped it find its way out."**

"That's what got you to notice Makoto?" Byakuya asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's just him being an overly kind person."

"And that's what got me to notice." Sayaka argued. "No one but Makoto was willing to help that Crane find it's way back home. You don't see that many people doing that."

"And I still think you're exaggerating about that." Makoto murmured sheepishly.

 _ **'Well, only cuz I was already in charge of taking care of animals at school.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'They made me do it.'**_

Sayaka shook her head. "You're being too modest Makoto. You could've just led it out of the pond, or possibly let animal control deal with it, but you decided to help out. That's what made it special."

Makoto chuckled sheepishly at this, a bit of the blush remaining on his cheek.

 **"I should have said thank you then, but….is it okay if I do it now?" Sayaka inquired.**

 **"Thank me?" The luckster repeated in confusion.**

 **"I'm that crane, you see." Sayaka declared. "I've come to return the favor. Here, let me make you a cloak."**

"...Hubba-Wha?!" Hifumi cried out in shock.

Celeste face palmed. "Relax Hifumi. Sayaka is most likely joking."

"You always make jokes like that." Chihiro commented.

Sayaka giggled. "What I can say? I like seeing people's shocked reaction."

 **"..."**

 **Sayaka giggled at Makoto's befuddled look. "Just kidding!"**

 **"Y-Yeah, I kinda figured."**

 **"Honestly though, I was so impressed." She continued. "That's why I wanted to talk to you, even just once. I never imagined this would be how I got my chance…."**

 _ **'Yeah. If we'd met again at a train station somewhere downtown, that'd make for a nice dramatic reunion.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'But instead, it's this weird school.'**_

"At least we got a better reunion than that one." Sayaka said optimistically. Makoto smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. There's definitely that."

 **"Maybe, but still," Sayaka said, interpreting Makoto's thought. "I'm sure you'll help me find my way out, just like that crane. You'll save me. It's just intuition, I know, but I still believe it."**

"That is a lot of confidence you have in Makoto." Celeste commented on.

Sayaka smiled. "Well, he's a very dependable person. I bet that's what my other is thinking." Honestly, she isn't hundred percent sure on it, but she isn't going to voice it.

Kyoko couldn't but feel suspicious over future Sayaka's words. That bad feeling she's having, has been slowly increasing. Is future Sayaka planning something, or at least thinking about it?

 ** _'I'm going to save her?'_ Makoto thought in surprise. But then the surprise soon turn into determination. "I'll do my best, I promise that. I'll make sure it's more than just intuition. If there's anything I can do, I'm going to do it!"**

Byakuya frowned. "Careful with making promises like that Makoto." The affluent progeny warned the luckster. "People can take it in more ways than one, including your friends."

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked him curiously.

"Just a little warning for the future." Byakuya had to admit, his suspicion for Sayaka is also increasing. He won't voice this out yet, knowing it would just cause some confusion, but will hold onto it until there's no more reason to.

 **"I believe you." Sayaka stated. "Besides, my intuition always turn out to be right. Cuz I'm psychic." She giggled once again. "Kidding, kidding!" She laughed out loud as she said it.**

"The two of you are getting closer and closer with every conversation." Chihiro commented on with a small smile. "That's nice."

"I agree." Sayaka chirped, laying her head on Makoto's shoulder. "We're close to becoming soul mates." Makoto blushed while the other girls gave Sayaka the stinky eyes.

Yep, they are correct. She is definitely milking it.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. More free time are going to be shown next chapter, with Leon, 'Junko', and Sayaka. As you saw, I skipped one of Mukuro's free time events. I might skip a few free time events with some of the characters, or merge the free time events if I feel the need to. I hope you guys don't mind. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	14. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P6

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I'll being doing more of the free time events for Leon, 'Junko', and Sayaka this chapter. After this chapter, there will be no more free time events for now. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 13: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 6

 **The scene is switched to Leon and Makoto in the bathroom, the two of them looking for any clues in here. "No use." Makoto sighed. "Nothing in here."**

"Wait, why are you two looking inside the bathroom?" Byakuya questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Do you honestly expect a secret doorway or something to show up in there?"

Makoto smiled sheepishly at this. "I don't know for sure myself, but I guess my future self is thinking that it wouldn't hurt. Anything else we could have probably already been searched or someone else is searching."

"And you know the old saying. Don't knock it until you try it." Leon added in.

 **Leon sighed. "I'm not even afraid anymore. Now I'm just pissed off." As he said that, his expression grew angry. "Why?! Why is this happening to me?!"**

"I-It's not like you're the only victim." Toko remarked. "Remember that the rest of us are trapped."

Now it's Leon turn to be sheepish. "I think my future self knows. He's just letting out some steam."

 **"This isn't fair, man! I mean, am I wrong?"**

 **"Oh, um, yeah. It really isn't." Makoto replied back. He was taken off guard a bit by Leon's sudden bout of rage.**

 **"Right? Totally unfair. Ultra unfair!" Leon exclaimed in anger. "Just like having to shave my head right before every baseball game!"**

"Um, if I recall, that choice was yours, was it not?" Celeste questioned.

Leon groaned. "They didn't gave me a choice, okay? I didn't even want to play at first!"

 **"Well, I mean….you chose to do that, right?" Makoto pointed out.**

 **Unfortunately, that did not help Leon's anger. "C'mon, man! Are you against me now, too?!" He questioned angrily. "I didn't even want to play! But the coach and all the teachers begged me, so I did it! And then they made me shave my head, just cuz it's 'tradition'. How's that fair?!"**

"Seriously, why?!" Leon griped. "The people back in America didn't have to do it."

"True, but there are people who deem tradition just as important." Sakura said. "Especially with the things they pride themselves in. Letting anyone disregard that tradition, even those very skilled, would be like dishonoring the subject they pride themselves in."

"Yeah, whatever." Leon grumbled, not really caring.

 **"You really hate baseball that much, huh?" Makoto couldn't help but comment.**

 **Leon crossed his arms and nodded firmly. "Damn straight I do!" He proclaimed. "Who has fun running around on a dusty field for three hours?!"**

 ** _'But….for baseball plays, the field is like sacred ground, isn't it?'_ Makoto thought.**

 **"But, it's so not cool!" Leon continued to gripe. "Spending all that time at practice, getting covered in sweat and dirt. It's just baseball, right? It's easy! Who needs practice?!"**

Sayaka had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't say anything rash to her friend. Unlike him, she had to work for her talent, even doing stuff that she regrets doing. It irked her how he didn't earn his talent, able to get his baseball position without even doing anything, and doesn't even care!

 _ **'I think the gods picked the wrong person to be bless with that much talent….'**_

"Dude!" Leon exclaimed, stunned.

Makoto winced sheepishly. "Sorry man."

"Can't say he's wrong though." Byakuya remarked. Some of the others like Toko, Celeste, and Junko agreed with the Togami heir.

"...You guys all suck." Leon grumbled.

 **"Still," Leon began. "I gotta admit, baseball wasn't all bad. It did have a few things going for it."**

 **"Yeah, right?" Makoto agreed. "Like the feeling of camaraderie between you and your teammates!"**

 **Leon shook his head at that. "Nah, nothin' like that! I can't stand being around a bunch of sweaty guys. So totally uncool!"**

 **"Then….what did you like about it?"**

 **"Well, I hate studying, right?" The baseball player started explaining. "But I still got into this super fancy school on a sports scholarship. As long as I kept playing, I never had to study!"**

Byakuya's eyes twitched. "That kind of lazy viewpoint leads to you on the streets, Leon."

"And yet I'm at Hope's Peak." Leon countered with a grin. Byakuya merely sighed in annoyance.

 **"And besides that," A grin then formed on his face. "It made me super popular with the ladies! Booyah! Ya jealous? I got to third base in more ways than one, if you know what I'm sayin'! ….Just kidding!"**

That got several classmates to roll their eyes. Typical Leon.

 **Makoto didn't know what to say to that. He was just….baffled. Leon chuckled. "I got plenty more where that came from!" He stated. "I'll tell ya more about it next time. Right now, I want to ask you something else."**

 **"What's up?" Makoto asked curiously. The two of them walked out of the bathroom and went a slow pace to the dining hall.**

 **"Well, I wanna start up a band, right?" Leon asked rhetorically. "I was wondering if you know anyone who's good at writing music. Oh, but nobody too popular! I don't want anyone to overshadow my own popularity as the lead singer!"**

Byakuya blinked a little in surprise. "That is….some fair amount of thinking you've put in your plan." The heir admitted. "I'm surprise you actually thought about it."

"Hey. I was being serious about it the first few months." Leon grumbled.

"Your motive for doing it says otherwise." Sakura countered. That got a few laughs while Leon grumbled even more.

 **"You're serious about becoming a musician, huh?" Makoto couldn't help but comment.**

 **"Absolutely!" Leon agreed, completely determined. "And I don't want be a George, ya know? Gotta get that Paul action!"**

"A what and a what now?" Hina asked in confusion. Sakura merely shrugged, not knowing what Leon is talking about.

 **"Speaking of which, what kind of music do you want to make?" Makoto asked him.**

 **Leon thought about it for a bit. "Well, what if I said I wanted to be like the Damned, The Clash, and The Sex Pistols?"**

 **Makoto, after thinking for a second, answered. "Those are all punk bands, right?"**

 **"Damn straight!" Leon confirmed passionately. "My plan is to conquer the world with punk!" Then he said the next part with a little less passion. "Cuz I mean….when it comes to punk, it doesn't really matter if you can actually play or not."**

 ** _'I'm….not sure how many punk bands would agree with that.'_ Makoto couldn't help but think.**

Sayaka shook her head. "Any genre requires you to know how to play." Sayaka explained. "Even something as wild as punk. You can't just go in there and play professionally." She may be just an idol, but she's got a good grasp of music and their genres.

 **"Anyway, by the time I got to this school, I'd already decided I was gonna quit baseball." Leon stated. "I was just gonna use it as a stepping stone once I got into Hope's Peak to propel me to stardom. I was gonna use my time here to become the Ultimate Musician."**

Junko turned to Leon. "So, stepping stone huh?" She smirked in his direction.

"Use it to propel to stardom, huh?" Celestia joined in.

"And you do realize that you had to be skilled in all kinds of genre to become the Ultimate Musician, right?" Kyoko questioned with a raised eyebrow as Leon slumped further and further into his seat.

Makoto smiled at his friend sympathetically before turning to the others. "Okay, I think he's had enough. No need to twist the knife more."

"Aww!" Junko whined. "But I like twisting it!" Celestia and Kyoko, meanwhile, just quietly turned back to the screen.

Leon smiled. "Thanks man. Don't know how much more I could take."

"Anytime Leon." Makoto said back, smiling back at his best male friend.

 **"...That's dream dead now, though." He said in disappointment. "I came here chasing a dream, but I never imagined it'd turn into such a nightmare….Dammit! I have to do it! I have to become a famous musician!" His disappointment slowly turned into anger. "Stop screwing with me, world! Give me back my youth! Give me back my dreams!"**

"Is everyone gonna be yelling at the ceiling?" Hiro questioned. "First Mukuro and now Leon? What has the ceiling ever done to us?"

"It's just their way to let out their frustration." Makoto said.

 _ **'So Leon did have a dream after all.'**_ **Makoto thought.** _ **'But it had nothing to do with baseball. He was never really serious about baseball, but I can't say I blame him for what he did.'**_

"And what's your thoughts on his dream now?" Junko questioned him with a smile. Makoto gulped.

"I plead the fifth." Was his statement.

 **"I….I swear to god, I have to do it!" Leon said, his voice getting desperate. "Then that girl at the hair salon will go out with me!"**

 **"...Huh?" Makoto stopped walking, shocked at what Leon just said.**

 **Leon noticed and stopped as well. "Oh yeah, she told me she only dated musicians." Leon explained to him. "Her face is okay, but she's got a smokin' hot body. I gotta get me some of that!"**

 **"That's….not the real reason you want to do all that, is it?" Makoto asked hesitantly.**

 **"What better reason is there?!" Leon questioned rhetorically, as if it was obvious. "The whole point of becoming a musician is to be popular, right?"**

Sayaka couldn't help but scowl at that. "No, that's not the only reason people become musicians or singers." She said a bit angrily.

"No matter how many times I hear it, his motivation for becoming a musician….still baffles me." Sakura said blankly.

"I know, right?" Hina agreed. "I mean, he was so passionate about it and then we found out that he wanted become one just to get a girl to ask him out?"

"That is not the correct motivation to even call it a dream!" Taka reprimanded Leon. "Should I give you another lecture, just in case?"

Leon paled and held his hands up. "No, I'm good! I've learned my lesson!" He does NOT want to be in one of Taka's lectures again.

 **"Speaking of which, do you know what kind guy Sayaka's into?" Leon inquired. "Is she into musicians? Or maybe actors? Maybe I should become an actor!"**

"You already thinking of switching your plans?" Mondo questioned incredulously. "Jesus man, keep your hormones away from your common sense."

Leon chuckled sheepishly. Sayaka, meanwhile, merely smiled in amusement, erasing her scowl. She isn't really bothered by Leon being into her. Being an idol means have a whole bunch of guys having a crush on her.

 **Makoto doesn't know what to say about this. "Let's….just go to the dining hall before it's late." Was all Makoto could muster. Leon shrugged and the two continued walking to the dining hall. _'_ _I feel like I'm understanding Leon a little better….'_**

 **The scene switched to Makoto, laying on his bed. It's 10:00 p.m., making it officially nighttime. _'Today's already come to an end.'_ Makoto thought to himself. _'But I swear….tomorrow I'm going to find some sort of clue! I swear!'_ With that statement in mind, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.**

 _'I wonder how long he'll be thinking that.'_ Junko thought to herself. _'Sooner or later, he's going to break. Wonder when that will be.'_

 **The scene switched to Makoto at the A/V room, looking at all the monitors. It was the only place he hadn't looked in yet, so he decided to look inside. "Heeey, Makoto~!" The luckster turned to see Junko walking over to him, smiling. "Slacking off again?"**

 **"N-No, that's not it." Makoto denied, blushing a bit. But then he soon corrected himself. "Well, kinda. Someone else already looked in the A/V room, and I just wanted to check it out. Guess I was kinda bored."**

 **Junko sighed. "Yeah, I'm bored too." She admitted. "Let's chill for a while!" The fashionista sat on one of the seats.**

 **The two were silent for a moment, just relaxing, when Junko spoke up once again. "Hey, Makoto? Can I tell you something?" Instead of her usual perky tone, it was softer. "I mean, you and you alone…."**

Junko raised both her eyebrows. "Oh? What this? A love confession about to happen?"

Mukuro blushed darkly at the thought while Makoto blushed a little as well. "I-I'm sure it's something else, Junko." Mukuro hastily said. The thought of confessing to Makoto made her heart race faster than being bombarded by bullets and explosions at a battlefield. And considering she actually experienced the latter first-hand, that's saying something.

 **"Just me? What is it?" Makoto asked, sitting on one of the other chairs.**

 **"My true intentions." She answered him.**

 **"Huh?"**

 **"To be honest, I'm kinda fed up with all of this." Junko said softly.**

Junko narrowed her eyes, just a bit, at the screen. Does that sound like Mukuro is having second thoughts on the plan?

Mukuro also wondered this, but then shook her head. She has been having second thoughts about it ever since meeting Makoto, but her future isn't dumb enough to reveal those thoughts around the cameras.

 **"We're all ultimates, right? So we get carried away and rush face-first into stuff. Even I have to wonder if it's okay to live like that."**

 **Makoto looked at her curiously. "Are you thinking of quitting modeling or something?"**

 **At that, she stayed silent. After a moment, she spoke up. "Dreams are meant to change as you grow up, right? Depending on where you're at- kindergarten, elementary school, junior high, high school….but I've had the same dream since I was a little kid, and I've been rushing towards it ever since."**

 **"So I've never really had to think all that hard about my dreams." Junko finished off with a bit of frustration in her voice.**

"Mukuro…." Makoto turned to the soldier. "Is your other thinking about quitting your soldier life?"

Mukuro was silent for a moment. No one could tell what she's thinking, due to her blank face. Then, she spoke. "Those thoughts had crossed my mind a couple of times."

"But why?" Hina asked curiously. "I mean, there are those who still have the same dream. That just mean you still feel the same way about it, right?"

Mukuro was merely silent at this. "I think my future self will explain." Was all she said, after a moment.

 **"But what's wrong with that?" Makoto asked curiously. "It just means you still feel the same way, right?"**

 **Junko looked down. "That's what I used to think." She admitted. "But if it doesn't change, your possibilities can't grow, right? That's how new opportunities are born. And up until now, I never did that. I never let my dreams grow. All I saw was that one dream. I put everything I had into that one narrow little world."**

Makoto, along with some others, couldn't help but look at the stoic Mukuro. Does she feel the same way? This may be her future self, but her memory was wiped along with everybody else. Is that what she's feeling right now?

Junko was a bit surprise. She always thought that Mukuro is just a muscle-head, kinda like Oowada, but with less of a temper. She never expected her sister to have thoughts like that.

 _'Guess she have more layers than I thought.'_ Junko thought.

 **She clenched her hands into fist. "I feel like there's so much more I could be doing that I'm not, and I don't like that feeling. So I think I'm going to start looking for it. Is it childish of me to think like that? Am I just being a baby?"**

Makoto shook his head. "I would say it, but I think my other is going to."

 **"No, not at all." Makoto reassured. "I'm the same way. I'm still trying to figure out what it is I want to do. And sometimes I feel like I'll never find it. I feel like maybe I'll spend the rest of my life looking for it."**

 **"But I'm not sure it's even about finding it or not finding it." The luckster began to finish off. "Maybe the important thing is that you're looking for it."**

"Wow." Chihiro said in awe. "That's a wonderful speech."

"Was that what you were thinking?" Kyoko asked Makoto.

The boy nodded. "Honestly though, I'm not sure if I said it right."

"Well, your words were somewhat inspiring, to say the least." Byakuya spoke up. "It'll give Mukuro something to think about."

Makoto turned to said soldier. "What about you, Mukuro? What do you think?"

The soldier looked down. "It'll be something to think about for sure." A small smile played on her lip. "Thank you, Makoto."

The luckster chuckled sheepishly. "Well, it was my future self who said it, not me."

"Well, the two of you are the same, so I'll thank you anyway."

 **His small speech stunned Junko. "Makoto, you…." She began in a bit of awe. "You actually sounded kinda cool just now!"**

 **That embarrassed the boy. "N-No, that's not what I was trying to-"**

 **"But you could be right." Junko interrupted. "Getting lost can be a good thing! As long as you're looking for it, maybe that's enough to be happy." A smile entered her lip. "Yeah. I'm gonna remember what you said."**

 _'I will too.'_ Mukuro thought to herself. She glanced at Makoto. With only a couple of words, he manage to change her thought process. Then again, his smile caused her to form a crush on him. _'Thank you.'_

 **"Thank you, Makoto."**

 **"S-Sure." The boy said scratching his cheek in embarrassment.**

 **"In return, I promise that if I do decide to kill someone, it won't be you!"**

That startled and scared some of the others a little. "Don't joke about shit like that! Especially in this situation!" Mondo growled.

"My bad." Mukuro replied back calmly.

 **That scared Makoto a bit. "D-Don't say scary stuff like that!" Junko merely laughed it off, giving time for Makoto to think a bit.** _ **'While that last bit scared me, I'm glad I was able to talk to Junko like this. I feel like I know her a lot better now.'**_

 **"But before I can do what you said, I gotta get out of here first!" She stated abruptly. "So I'm definitely gonna find out how to get out!" With that, she walked off, presumably to keep on her search.**

"G-Geez. Try looking for a way out, instead of y-yelling about it." Toko grumbled.

 _ **'Maybe if she stopped yelling at nobody how to get out, she'd find a way.'**_ **Makoto deadpanned. But then a smile form.** **'Well, I guess it's okay. She can do things however she wants.'**

 **For a moment, he decided to stay in the A/V room, just relaxing. Then, he got up and walked out, going to see if there's anywhere else he could look at.**

 **"Hey, Makoto!" The luckster turned his head to see that it was Leon, who's at one of the corners in the hallway, that was talking to him.**

 **"Yeah, Leon?"**

 **"Listen I have something to tell you, but….it's kinda a secret." Leon explained. "Could you, uh, come to my room?"**

 **That got Makoto curious. "Your room?"**

 **"Anyway, I'll be waiting!" With that, Leon went over to his room, leaving Makoto to think.**

A few eyebrows were raised at this. "Why do you want Makoto to come to your room?" Sakura asked him.

Leon shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's something he doesn't want anyone else to hear. We all can agree that Makoto is pretty trustworthy when you get to know him."

Everyone nodded and showed their agreements in their own way. Class 78th's Ultimate Lucky Student is the most trustworthy out of all of them, that's for sure.

 ** _'I wonder why Leon suddenly invited me to his room like that.'_ Makoto thought. Shrugging, he went to the direction of Leon's room.**

 **When he got in, he saw that Leon's room was far different from his. It was filled with stuff a rockstar would want, an electric guitar, a boom box, CDs and several other things. "Welcome to the room of a future superstar!" Leon stated with a grin.**

There were several snorts of amusement from that. "F-Future superstar? Not likely." Toko scoffed.

"And you're still keeping that stuff, even after getting back to baseball?" Byakuya asked with a raised eyebrow.

Leon chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I didn't completely give up on that dream….nor on that girl at the hair salon."

"You're hopeless." Sayaka shook her head with an amused smile.

 **"So, what's up? You said you had a secret or something?" Makoto asked him.**

 **At that, Leon stayed silent and his mood turned a bit serious. He was silent for a couple of second before speaking up. "Well, okay, it's like…." After trying to find the right words, he decided for the blunt approach. "Let's play baseball!" Then he grinned. "Kidding, kidding! That was a joke. Super joke! I hate baseball, remember?"**

Several eyes flashed in realization. "Ah, so this is your realization of your love for baseball." Celeste commented. "Though I'm surprised it was this quick. It took you a week for you to realize how much you actually love baseball."

"Well, we're trapped inside the school, with no way of going outside." Leon explained. "Being stuck in there, not being able to play baseball, at all, probably made that conclusion easier."

"That would explain it." Sakura agreed.

 **Another moment, he was silent. Then he let out a sigh, something Makoto noticed. _'Wait….it sounds like it wasn't a joke.'_ He then spoke up. "Leon, do you….want to start playing baseball again?"**

 **That startled Leon a bit. "Wh-What are you talking about?! Don't be stupid!" Leon said heatedly. "How many times have I told you how much I totally hate baseball?! I, like, don't like it at all!" His glare remained fixed on Makoto for a few seconds, until he deflated. "...is what I thought. But actually….this is longest I've ever gone without playing, ya know? I mean, I was so good, they forced me to play like, all the time."**

 **"And being away from the game for so long has made you realize how you really feel?" Makoto clarified.**

 **Leon growled in frustration. "Dammit! It's like mind control! Baseball brainwashed me!"**

"Or you didn't realize how much you really enjoyed it until now." Sayaka told him. "You must have played baseball at some point before you actually joined a baseball league. If you didn't, then no one could've known about your skill."

Leon sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know that now." He mumbled.

 **"But fine, whatever! I just wanna throw the ball around a little! But I can't play baseball by myself!" Leon groaned, sitting his bed. "I never shoulda come to this school!"**

 **"L-Leon…."**

 **"If what's happening to us really is some kinda school event thing, then when it's over, I think I'm gonna drop out and go back to my old school." Leon told him. "Maybe my team won't want me back, but all I can do is beg for forgiveness and hope for the best."**

Several were a bit impressed with what he said. "Wow. Maybe the hothead actually can learn something." Byakuya commented. He received the stink eye from Leon for the hothead comment.

Makoto sighed. He talked to Leon about this before, and know what's gonna come next.

 **"I-I don't think you have to worry about that." Makoto reassured. "I'm sure they'll be happy to have you back. If you just show them how you really feel about baseball, how you're willing to go to practice and-"**

 **"Practice?" Leon interrupted, looking up. "Hell no! No way! I really, seriously hate practice! I don't need practice! I just wanna play the game! Even an exhibition game or whatever!"**

 **"O-Oh." Was all Makoto could say to this. "Well….I'm sure it'll work out somehow." He offered.**

 **Leon nodded in agreement, grinning in confidence. "Yeah, they can't just drop someone as good as me! I'm sure they'll forgive me no problem! I mean, it's me, right?! I'm the up and coming Koshien Stadium Superstar!"**

"And I take back my previous statement." Byakuya sighed in irritation as the others sighed as well or rolled their eyes. "He doesn't learn anything at all. A fool remains a fool, I suppose."

"Up yours, Byakuya."

"At least I have money." Byakuya stated dryly.

 **Leon laughed. "You're gonna be there rooting for me, right?"**

 **Makoto sighed mentally. _'I don't think he's learned his lesson.'_ The luckster thought. _'But still….I think it's impossible for me to hate him. He and I talked about so much together. Have I finally met the real Leon….?'_**

"What, what does he mean by 'talked about so much together'?" Kyoko questioned with a raised eyebrow. "They've only talked a few times before, haven't they?"

Spirit was the one to answer her question. "There were many conversations Makoto had with his classmates, even the more reclusive or anti-social ones. This was just picked out at random, but they are important as these conversations highlights everyone's personality."

"This really is made out to be an anime." Hifumi commented on.

Spirit shrugged. "It's to lighten up the mood, a bit." The host of the whole thing admitted.

 **The scene switched to Makoto walking down the hallway once again, at the direction to his room. _'The third day here is almost at an end.'_ Makoto thought to himself. _'Got to know many of my classmates here these past days, at least. Some more than others, though.'_**

"I wish we could see Makoto interacting with all of us." Hina pouted. "So far, we've only see him having conversations with Leon, Junko, and Sayaka."

"But from the sounds of it, Makoto has interacted with us." Hiro pointed out. "We just haven't seen any of our interactions yet."

"Which makes me wonder, why haven't we've seen Makoto interacting with all of us?" Byakuya questioned. He turned his head towards Spirit. "Why have we only seen him converse with Junko, Leon, and Sayaka? As Hiro pointed out, it does sound like Makoto have conversed with the rest of us. While you did say that they were picked at random, why have we only seen him having conversation with those three?"

Spirit shrugged. "Most of your conversations picked aren't as important, and if we go through all of them, we'll be here for more than one week." The host pointed out. "I had to micro-manage, pick out the most important conversations. Those that focus on the plot, foreshadowing, and character development."

Many of them accepted the explanation. It made sense to them, especially to the Ultimate Writing Prodigy and Ultimate Fanfic Creator. However, a few like Kyoko and Junko aren't satisfied with it.

 _'Why do I have the feeling he's hiding something?'_ Kyoko thought. For now, she let it go. She'll just have to focus on the story.

 **He sighed. _'But still, when will I-no, we,'_ He corrected himself. _'When are we gonna get out of here?'_**

 **A few seconds later, he's at the door to his room. Before he opened it though, an already familiar voice called out to him. "Hey, Makoto." The boy his head to the side to see Sayaka, her head popped out of her room.**

 **"Oh, hey Sayaka." The luckster greeted. The pop idol slowly got out of her room and closed the door.**

 **"Listen, may I ask you just one question?" She asked formally.**

 **It was something Makoto noticed. "So polite again! What's going on?"**

 **"And so polite again, I'd like to ask," The question was something Makoto wasn't prepared for. "Do you have a girlfriend?"**

If Makoto had something to drink, he certainly would've spitted out by now. But his eyes are wide, as are Sayaka's, blushes back on their cheeks with a vengeance.

The others are surprised as well. "Wow girl, you're going for your man fast." Junko stated with a grin, getting Sayaka to blush further.

"I-It's not like that!" She denied. "I-I'm sure she's just curious, is all!"

 **That definitely took Makoto definitely off guard. "Wh-What?!" A blush spread on his face. "That's like, way outta nowhere!"**

 **"Huh? Are you embarrassed?" Sayaka questioned. "Does that mean you do?" A slightly disappointed look etched on her face.**

 **Noticing the look, Makoto responded quickly. "N-No, I don't! A girlfriend….? Not at all!"**

"It's not something you admit easily to dude." Leon teased his friend. "Well, unless of course, you expect Sayaka to ask you out. Do you?"

"Sh-Shut up!" Was Makoto's embarrassed response. Leon merely grinned, as did Hiro and Mondo.

Once again, Kyoko, Mukuro, Hina, and Celeste felt their ire rise up. Sayaka is becoming more of a threat, even more so than usual.

 **"Then….do you at least have a crush on someone?" She asked hesitantly.**

 **The blush on Makoto's face spread further. "J-Just wait a second!" Makoto protested. "What's going on here? Why are you asking me all these questions?"**

 **"I was just curious, so I thought I'd ask." Sayaka stated with a smile. "Is that bad?"**

 **"It's not that it's bad…." Makoto said, the blush still on his face.**

 **"But it's only natural I'd be curious, right?" Sayaka asked rhetorically. "Because we're…."**

Several felt themselves paying more attention to this. _'We're-?!'_

 **Makoto felt his heart racing. _'We're-?!'_**

 **"Because we're classmates, going through the same thing together." She stated.**

That got everyone to settle down, with Makoto sagging a little in disappointment. The other girls with crushes on the luckster sighed in relief, some more obvious than others.

 ** _'Classmates….'_**

 **"Although….that's not all there is to it." Sayaka added in. "You and I are more than just classmates…."**

 _'More than that?!'_ Nearly everyone's attention was drawn once again.

 _ **'More than that?!'**_

 **"We're friends." She told him. "We've been friends since middle school, in a way."**

And once again, they settled down. Toko snorted. "W-Way to lead him on."

Sayaka ducked her head down in embarrassment. "I don't think my future self meant to do that." She mumbled loudly. "Sorry Makoto."

The luckster chuckled. "It's fine. Shouldn't really expect for you to say anymore than we're friends. Nothing special about me to draw your attraction, after all."

Nearly all of his guy friends stared at Makoto blankly. He have five girls falling for him, and says something like that?

 _ **'That's true….'**_ **Makoto thought, a bit of disappointment inside him.** _ **'Yeah, we're friends. Of course.'**_

 **The two were silent for a moment before Sayaka spoke up again. "So? Aren't you going to ask me?"**

 **Her question got him out of his thoughts. "Huh? What?"**

 **"No, not what." Sayaka stated. "Aren't you going to ask if I have a boyfriend or not?"**

"You want him to ask you that?" Sakura questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

Sayaka flushed. "I-I'm sure my future self has a reason." Sayaka responded back. Though, she has an idea as to why she ask that.

 ** _'I mean, it's not like I don't want to know.'_ Makoto thought in his head. _'Of course I want to know.'_ He then spoke up to Sayaka. "You're really popular, right? So I wouldn't be surprised if you did."**

 **"Nooope! I definitely don't!" She stated. "...The truth is, I'm way too busy for things like that."**

 **"Th-then," Makoto began hesitantly. "Do you have a…..crush on someone?"**

 **"Hmm, I wonder…." Sayaka said, a smile on her face. "Let's just say….there's someone I'm interested in." Sayaka stared right into his eyes, her cheeks red.**

 **Makoto felt his own cheeks still red, if not redder. _'Wait….me?'_**

Junko whistled. "Damn, you are going for your man, aren't you?" Junko teased, causing Sayaka to flush even more.

Makoto's own cheeks are still aflame, and he couldn't help but glance at Sayaka for a moment. _'Could she have a crush on me?'_ The luckster couldn't help but think. _'No, it can't be. I'm just a regular high school student. What could see in me? I'm probably just overthinking things.'_

Kyoko, pushing away her jealousy for right, is wondering why Sayaka is clearly hinting her affection towards Makoto. Sure, the pop idol isn't shy with getting close to Makoto, unlike a certain soldier, but she doesn't heavily hint her feeling towards the luckster. So why is her future self doing so?

 **"But I need to put those feelings aside for now." Sayaka declared. "Getting out of here is all that matters."**

 **"Y-Yeah, you're right." Makoto agreed, his blush slowly fading.**

 **Sayaka faced Makoto fully. "Let's get out of here together, Makoto." She stated. "No matter what. Please don't turn your back on me, okay?"**

 **"O-Of course! I would never turn my back on you!" Makoto stated.**

Junko bit back a giggle. Sayaka is playing him like string. She is definitely gonna kill someone, that's for sure, and it's going to have Makoto involved.

Byakuya and Kyoko couldn't help but sigh. Makoto is being way too trusting, especially in the situation he's in. The only thing they could hope for is that Sayaka isn't going to do what they expected.

 **"I want you to know something, Makoto. And I want you to know that I mean it-I can't fake my feelings." She told him. "I'm….really glad you're here." A smile etched onto her face once again.**

Now Sayaka is a bit concerned. She likes the fact that her future self is getting so close to Makoto, sure, but it looks like her future self is trying to make sure that Makoto stays loyal to her.

She has a bad feeling gnawing in her stomach.

 **Seeing her smile, encouraged him. Strengthen his resolve. Made Makoto feel stronger. _'I have to do my best in here!'_ Makoto thought in determination. _'For myself, and for Sayaka!'_**

"You two are getting extremely close." Hifumi commented. "The friendship level is boosted to the max."

"What I can say? We click well." Sayaka stated with a smile. But while she's smiling on the outside, she's still very concerned in the inside. She and Makoto are clicking almost too well.

Celeste and Kyoko are concerned as well. Celeste knows manipulation when she sees it, and while Sayaka is mostly honest with her feelings, she's using them to manipulate Makoto. To make sure he either helps, or won't betray her in the future, if she decides to kill. And it looks like it's working. Kyoko is also having similar thoughts.

 **"I'm so happy you're going to do your best for me!" Sayaka said brightly.**

 **"What?!" The luckster exclaimed in shock. "You heard me?!"**

 **"Like I'm said, I'm psychic." Sayaka repeated her favorite line. She, as usual, she giggled. "Kidding! I just have really good intuition….but is that really what you were thinking?"**

 **The blush returned on Makoto's face. "U-ummm….well…." Not wanting to say it, he decided to change the subject. "A-Anyway, let's just help each other out and get out of here, no matter what it takes! I'm gonna do my best for sure!"**

 **"Yeah, you're right." Sayaka agreed. "We need to work together and do our best." She giggled as she said that.**

 ** _'I'm gonna do my best.'_ Makoto thought in determination. With that, the two of them went to their bedrooms.**

By now, the smartest or more observant watchers are concerned (san Junko). This is holding a lot of foreshadowing, at the possibility that Sayaka might use him.

They didn't voice their suspicions out loud, though. Voicing their suspicions might cause some chaos.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Now, I'm gonna move on to the canon stuff. Next chapter will have class 78th watching their future selves talking at breakfast, the first motive, Sayaka's breakdown, and possibility the room switch, depending on the length of the chapter. I should be able to fit all of these, but who knows? Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **Editor's Notes: Hey guys. A Lucky Soldier here and while you guys are enjoying the story, I'm actually here to ask for a bit of help. For the life of me, the DOC manager just doesn't want to save the formatting used in these stories (the bolds and italics specifically). I've tried various methods for it to stick but when I save it in the manager, it's all completely wiped. I'm currently using the DOC manager to edit these, but I've also used Microsoft Word 2016. Anyone know something, please shoot me a message! I'll appreciate any help I can get :)**


	15. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P7

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, we're back to the canon stuff now. This chapter will show the class watching the first motive happening. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 14: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 7

 **Makoto slowly pulled himself out of bed, groaning sleepily. "Another night of restless sleep." Makoto said to himself. "I can feel the fatigue piling up."**

His commentary concerned some in the group. "Your future self should try to get better sleep." Kyoko informed Makoto. "Otherwise, he's going to fall on his face at some point."

"Well, could you blame him?" Makoto asked his friends. "I'm pretty sure most of us would be pretty restless given the condition we're in."

"Good point." Chihiro admitted.

 **As soon as that thought crossed his mind, the sound of the doorbell ringed his room. Curious, he went up to the door and opened it, only to be met with an energized Taka.**

 **"A fantastic morning, isn't it?!" Taka greeted cheerfully.**

 **"T-Taka?" Makoto said in surprise. "What's up? Why are you here?"**

 **Instead of answering, his reply went: "No matter how intensely the stormy seas may batter me, I will not fall as long as my feet are firmly planted! You agree, right?"**

 **"U-Um, I'm not sure I understand…."**

 **"And if you can't do it alone, just find someone to support you, and you can support them back!" Taka continued passionately. "That's how you can overcome any storm!"**

Question marks appeared on Hifumi's, Hina's, and Hiro's heads. "Um, does anyone one know what he's saying?"

"I think bro was saying that he wants all of us to form up together as a team." Mondo translated. "So that we can face the mastermind."

"But, we're already a team, aren't we?" Hina asked, still confused. "I mean, aren't we already working together?"

"Maybe, but we all seem to have formed our own groups or are looking around alone." Chihiro explained. "The only one here who's trying to get to know everyone is Makoto."

Said luckster smiled sheepishly.

"So in other words, future Taka wants us to bond with each other?" Sakura deduced.

This time, Taka was the one to speak up. "That would be an accurate conclusion!"

 **Makoto was silent at this. He honestly doesn't know what to say. Thankfully, Taka explained himself. "I was thinking about it last night, and….I decided we all need to really come together. And that when I realized, every morning from now on, after the morning announcement, everyone should have breakfast together!"**

 **"And now is the beginning of that fateful day!" Taka stated with his usual passion. "Please head to the dining hall at your earliest convenience!"**

"Look like they nailed it." Hina turned to Mondo and Chihiro. "The two of you got pretty good at speaking Taka's 'rule-book' language."

"Well, hanging out with a friend for a certain amount of time helps you understand them better." Chihiro stated in her usual polite and meek tone.

"True." Makoto nodded in agreement. He knew everyone better enough that even he could tell their moods or how they hid their feelings.

 **Without waiting for a reply, Taka turned and walked away. Makoto stood there for a moment before speaking to himself. "Well….I guess I'd better head to the dining hall."**

 **The scene changed to everyone gathered at the big lunch table. "Everyone, thank you for making this time in your busy schedules to come together."**

Leon rolled his eyes. "How much do you want to bet that Taka dragged us into it?"

 **Leon scoffed at his side of the table. "I didn't make time for shit. You dragged me here."**

"Called it."

"No one disagreed with you Leon." Sayaka remarked.

 **Taka ignored the remark. "I know I already mentioned this, but in order to get out of here, it is essential that we all cooperate with each other. And first, is this breakfast meeting to allow us to become friends and to build trust!" He began to get more passionate once again. "So from now on, let's all meet here in the dining hall every morning after the morning announcement!"**

Byakuya sighed. "This isn't going to work." The heir stated. "Not only do we distrust one another at some level, but there's Monokuma to worry about."

"Byakuya has a point. Would the mastermind just leave us alone after three days?" Celeste remarked. "The bear seemed quite eager about the possibility of us killing one another."

"Let's try not to think about that right now." Makoto said. "At least we're making an effort to work together."

"Let's see if that effort will be worth it." Kyoko stated.

 **"Now then, let's eat!" With that, Taka sat back down on his chair, grabbing his plate.**

 **"You w-want me to eat breakfast with other p-people?" Toko stuttered out, pressing her index fingers together. "I've never done that b-before. I'm not s-sure…."**

 **"Yeah, it's been a while for me too." Leon stated.**

 **"Well anyway," Junko spoke up. "Did anyone happen to come up with any clues?"**

 **Silence was met with that question, echoing across the dining hall.**

"Guess that answers the question." Mondo deadpanned. "Not one fucking clue."

 **"Seriously? Nothing at all?" Junko said in disbelief. "Anything? It can be about how to get out, or who's doing this, nobody has anything?!"**

 **"...You are going to die." That chilling statement came from none other than Celestia.**

 **And it shocked Junko. "Huh?"**

 **"If you can't stop yourself from showing weakness in front of others," Celeste explained coldly. "You will die."**

Several chills went up to people's spine. Mukuro subconsciously narrowed her eyes on the threat, her hands twitching towards her knives.

"Celeste," Makoto spoke up nervously and slowly. "Did your future self had to say that to Mukuro? It was pretty unnecessary."

"I admit, that was out of line. I apologize for my future self." Celeste said, looking to Mukuro. That settled down the soldier for a bit.

 **"W-What the hell?" Junko exclaimed, a bit rattled. "Don't even freaking joke about that!"**

 **"I am not joking. Adaptability is survivability." Celeste repeated what she had said three days ago. "Did I not say so? So you'd better hurry up and adapt to your new life here."**

 **"Have you gone completely insane?" Junko questioned, looking directly at Celeste at her side of the table. "Adapt to my new life here? Do you have any idea what you're saying?"**

"Yeah, I have to agree. Why would any of us want to adapt to that kind of life?" Leon questioned. "I definitely wouldn't."

Celeste debated whether or not to tell her classmates about her lying. It wouldn't hurt if they knew, and they might benefit from it. But, she's nervous about how they would react to it. Maybe she'll ask Makoto about it later.

 **Mondo then spoke up. "Yeah, sounds like the girl wants to live here. And hell, more power to her. But shit," He slammed his fist onto the table. "No way in hell am I living here! I'm gettin' outta here, I don't give a shit!"**

 **Celeste laughed a little at that. "Sure, feel free."**

 **"Okay, so," Leon cut in, getting the conversation back in track. "Nobody has any clues?"**

 **"One thing I can tell you is who's behind all this." Hina declared. "Someone who's totally weird and messed up. Why else would we be trapped here in the first place?"**

Byakuya face palmed. "I think he meant actual clues, dimwit. Anyone with a functioning brain could've figured that part out."

"Hey!" Hina pouted angrily at this. "Well, no one else said it!"

"That because many of us already deduced that in our heads."

 **"Well, sure, it could be something like that. But for now, actual clues are…." Leon trailed off.**

 **That's when Chihiro spoke up a little. "U-Umm,"**

 **Leon turned his head towards the programmer. "Huh? What's up?"**

 **"If you think in terms of people who are really abnormal or bizarre," Chihiro began explaining. "Do you think maybe the person responsible for all this could be a certain murderous fiend?"**

That got everyone's attention. "Certain murderous fiend," Makoto repeated. "Is Chihiro talking about Genocide Jack?"

"But that would be impossible." Kyoko disregarded. "Genocide Jack is Toko's other personality, and Toko is with us." Toko flinched a little at the reminder of her alter ego.

The group found out about Genocide Jack some time ago. Kyoko, being in the law enforcement, wanted to tell the police about Jack, but Makoto managed to convince her not to. Instead, they made sure that Jack, or Jill as she preferred to be called, doesn't go on a 'cute boy' killing spree.

"Not to mention she doesn't have the brains to conduct something like this." Byakuya remarked.

"A-And she only kills c-cute, adorable boys." Toko put in. "There's no way s-she would be interested in something like this. And she prefers doing the killings herself."

 **That got the groups' attention. "A murderous fiend," Makoto repeated. "Chihiro, do you have any idea who might be behind all this?"**

 **"Well, maybe." Chihiro confirmed. "I mean, I can't really be certain, but…."**

 **"Certainty is not a concern right now!" Taka cut in. "I'll allow whatever remarks you may have!"**

 **"O-Okay." Chihiro responded, a bit startled. "Well, have you guys heard of Genocide Jack?"**

 **Makoto's eyes widened. "You mean that serial killer that's been in the news and all over the internet?"**

"And it seems that Chihiro was talking about her." Sakura stated. "But we already established it would be impossible for Genocide Jill to pull this off, especially since Toko is with us."

"So who could pull this off?" Taka asked. "Should that be the question we should ask ourselves?"

Chihiro hummed in thought. "Well, I don't know about starting the whole killing game, but I know someone who could possibly wipe away our memories of Hope's Peak."

That got the group's attention. "Really? Who is it?" Hina asked eagerly, hoping to expose the mastermind early.

"He's an upperclassman that I've been working with on a project." Chihiro stated. "His name is Yasuke Matsuda, the Ultimate Neurologist."

"The Ultimate Neurologist?" Byakuya thought about that possibility. "With his skill set, it could be possible that he develop something like that."

"The question is whether he's the mastermind, just involved in this, or if the mastermind took some of his research for their own purposes." Kyoko put in. She sighed. "If he was able to erase memories at all, then it's something we'll need to talk about later."

 **"The monstrous villian who's murdered scores of victims in brutally bizarre fashions. The word 'bloodlust was left at each murder scene, written in the victim's own blood." Byakuya built in. "Whoever it is, he's like a ghost. He strikes without warning, and disappears without a trace. And on the internet, they started calling him…."**

 **He turned his head towards the group. "Genocide Jack. That about covers it, I think."**

"Most of it is right except that he is actually a she." Junko stated. "What made you guys think that the murderer is actually a guy?"

"Well, to be fair, a girl murdering people isn't the first thing that pops into your mind." Leon said. "Especially in the bizarre fashion Genocide Jill does it."

 **"They say he's claimed over a thousand victims." Hiro said, a disturbed look on his face.**

 **"That's just an urban legend though, right?" Junko asked, also looking a bit disturbed. "I mean even like, ten people would be totally insane." All the while, Toko stayed silent, not looking anyone in the eye.**

"Thank god it isn't a thousand victims." Makoto sighed. "But her victims are in the double digits."

"At least we're able to control her though!" Hina chirped optimistically. " Or at the very least, stop her from killing anyone else!"

"Y-Yeah. I'm glad she hasn't been able to kill for a while." Toko agreed. Despite her bitter attitude, she doesn't like seeing people die, especially at her hands.

 **"Anyway," Chihiro spoke back up. "Whoever Genocide Jack really is, he's obviously some kind of super crazy killer."**

 **"And if he really is this 'ultimate' psycho, I wouldn't be surprised if he put together something like this." Mondo stated.**

"Super crazy killer? Definitely, especially the crazy part." Leon stated. "Putting something like this together? Not possible."

 **"But like I said, I can't be certain." Chihiro reminded them. "I don't have any evidence or anything. It's just a thought."**

 **"But if they're a killer, isn't that like a killer kind of a problem for us?!" Leon asked nervously.**

 **"It's okay!" Hina stated with slightly forced optimism. "Everything's absolutely, positively, one hundred percent without a doubt gonna be okay! Cuz help is gonna be here soon, I'm sure of it!"**

 **"Huh? H-Help?" Toko questioned, finally speaking up.**

 **"We've been stuck in here for a few days, right?" Hina asked rhetorically. "Nobody's been able to contact us, so I'm sure they're getting worried, I bet they called the police already!"**

"That's another question to ask." Kyoko murmured loudly. "People would've noticed what's happening in Hope's Peak. So what's going on outside?"

"Is there something stopping the police from trying to get us out, or at the very least, investigate it?" Makoto wondered. "There are several theories we could think of, but all of them have several holes in them."

Kyoko nodded in agreement. "The best theory is that there are barricades or traps outside that prevent the police breaking in, if they found out about us."

"But the main question is how the mastermind was able to set all this up without people noticing." Byakuya joined in. "That is the question surrounding all these other questions."

 **Suddenly, an evil laugh was heard throughout the dining hall. And soon enough, Monokuma appeared in front of the table. "The police? You're putting your faith in the police?!"**

Several of them jumped and/or yelped when Monokuma laughed and appeared. "Again?!" Leon exclaimed.

"And it looks like Monokuma stopped leaving us alone." Byakuya sighed.

 **Several jumped and/or yelped at his sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?!" Sakura demanded.**

 **"You guys, seriously," Monokuma ignored Sakura's demand. "Do you understand what role the police exist to fill? All they're good for is being a foil, playing against a villian or anti-hero or evil organization. The bad guys come along and destroy them, and that shows just how badass they really are. Are you sure you wanna rely on such an unreliable group of losers?"**

"He's got a point." Hifumi said in thought. "In mangas and anime, as well as games, the police always end up being defeated by the antagonists."

"I-It's the same in literature as well." Toko put in. "The p-police are always defeated."

"But this isn't an anime nor a game. This is reality." Kyoko stated. Her tone is neutral and cold, and her eye is twitching a little. Being in the law enforcement, Monokuma's comment stung a bit.

Makoto, noticing those slight changes in her demeanor, spoke to her quietly. "Don't let it get to you. It's just words coming from a maniac. Besides, you know yourself that the Kirigiri lines of detectives are the best in the business."

Kyoko smiled slightly at Makoto's attempt to make her feel better. She slightly nodded to him before turning back to the screen.

 **"I mean come on! If you really, REALLY wanna get out of here, all you gotta do is kill!" Monokuma attempted to tempt them, once again.**

 **Suddenly, Hiro laughed, drawing the group's attention. "Why the hell are you laughing?" Leon questioned in bewilderment.**

 **"I'm just impressed at the total commitment to this whole act." Hiro said, still smiling.**

While others had looks of disbelief or exasperation, Hiro nodded in agreement. "I know, right? I can't believe how long they're doing this act."

"I wish his stupidity is an act." Byakuya mumbled in irritation.

 **"...You're still going on about that?" Asked a incredulous Junko.**

"I'm thinking the same thing sis." Junko sighed. "Looks like we do have the twin connection." Seriously, Hiro's stupidity right now is boring on her, more than her usual boredom. Not to mention how irritating it was.

She could not wait for his world to come crashing down. That should fix the extreme boredom with him.

 **"So, mister serial killer psycho freak bastard….what the hell do you want?" Mondo growled.**

 **Monokuma tilted his head in confusion. "Mr. Serialkillerpyschofreakbastard, huh? That's a pretty long name! German, maybe?"**

 **"We know who you really are!" Mondo stated.**

 **In response, Monokuma merely turned away. "Maybe if I just ignore him, he'll go away…." He murmured loudly to himself.**

Mondo growled. "I really want rip that piece of shit teddy bear!" The biker snarled. "So much!"

"Mondo, take some deep breaths." Chihiro pleaded with him. Mondo was silent for a moment before doing the progammer's suggestion and took some deep breaths.

"Better." Mondo admitted. "Still angry with the bear, though."

"Join the club." Leon grumbled.

 **"Hey! Don't ignore me, asshole!" Mondo shouted in anger.**

 **Ignoring him, Monokuma turn back to everyone else. "Okay, okay, let's get back to business." The bear stated. "Your life here has already begun and a couple days have gone by, and nobody's killing anybody!"**

"He really expected that we would kill in a heartbeat?" Leon questioned in disbelief. "Um, newsflash. None of us are bloodthirsty, or desperate enough."

"And Genocide Jill only kill 'cute, adorable boys'." Hina quoted what Jill said. "And the only one in her criteria is Byakuya, and she claims that he's too hot to kill."

"Don't remind me." Byakuya shuddered. Toko is merely an annoyance to his life. Jack is the bane of his existance.

 **"I thought all you kids were lazy and selfish, and here you are working together." He then hung his head. "But I'm totally bored!"**

"We already mentioned how insane he is, right?" Hina asked. To the several nods, she said this. "Well, I'll say it again. He's insane."

"Yeah. From the sounds of it, he's doing this because he's bored." Taka stated in disbelief. "Who would do something like this, just because they're bored?"

 _'Me!'_ Junko cheerfully thought. Truthfully, she's bored as well, though some of the commentary does free her of her boredom a little bit.

 **Makoto glared at Monokuma. "There's nothing you can say that'll make us start killing each other…."**

 **Before he could finish, Monokuma interrupted. "Wait, I think-yes! Ding ding ding! I got it!" He declared. An idea seemed to pop in his mind. "All the mystery ingredients are right here-right people, right place. So why hasn't anyone killed anyone, yet? That's what I couldn't understand. But I just realized there was one very important piece missing!"**

"Um, does anyone else have a bad feeling about this?" Several hands was raised to Hifumi's question. "Oh, good. It's not just me."

 **Makoto looked nervous at this. "Wh-What are you….?"**

 **"If you wanna know, I'll tell ya! It's motive!" Monokuma declared. He giggled in glee. "It's so simple! I just have to give everyone a motive!"**

"Motive?" Taka questioned. "What does he mean by that?"

"He means that he's going to give us a reason to kill." Byakuya informed him. "Give us a reason to murder each other."

"What reason could he give us to do so?" Leon asked, though he does sound nervous.

"We're in trouble." Celeste deadpanned to herself. You do not ask that kind of question. They always get answered in mangas.

 **"Motive? What the fuck are you talking about?" Mondo growled.**

 **Ignoring him, Monokuma spoke to the group. "Oh, by the way! There's something I want to show you guys!"**

 **"Stop changing the goddamn subject!"**

 **"I have a little video I'd like you all to see." Once again, the bear ignored the angry biker.**

"Something tells me that he isn't changing the subject." Makoto gulped.

 **"Oh, but don't worry. It's not some pervy 'adult' video or anything. Seriously, it's nothing like that!" Monokuma hastily assured, looking nervous and sweaty. "It's a special video for each of you showing that's going on outside the school."**

 **That got everyone's attention. "Outside the school….?" Makoto said warily. "What are you talking about?"**

 **Monokuma chuckled. "Ooh, Master's important today! Why don't you just watch it and find out?"**

"I'm getting really nervous." Chihiro muttered, fidgeting a little. "What does he want to show us?"

"Something that would give us the motive to kill, probably." Sakura deduced. "What it is exactly, I'm afraid to find out."

 **"You can go to the A/V room to watch the videos." Monokuma informed them.**

 **Kyoko nodded. "Good, then we can go watch the videos right now. But before we do that, I would like to know…." She stared at him directly in the eyes. "What are you? Why would you do something like this? What do you want from us?"**

 **Monokuma tilted his head. "What do I want from you?" He repeated. "Well, if you must know…."**

 **The camera then gain a close up to his face. "Despair. That's all."**

Chills went down everyone's spine. What he said, and how he said it scared several of them. "I got a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach." Makoto admitted.

"So do I, man." Leon agreed. Sayaka, Hifumi, Hina, and several others also nodded in agreement.

"Now I'm really nervous." Hina shivered.

"Why would the mastermind be interested in our despair?" Sakura questioned, crossing her arms. "What have we've done to them to earn that?"

"I doubt that question would be answered soon." Celeste sighed.

 **The screen went back to it's regular size. "If you want to know more than that, you'll have to figure it out for yourselves. Do whatever you need to uncover the mystery hidden within this school. I won't try and stop you. Cuz to be honest, it's entertaining as heck watching you guys search so desperately for answers! So I guess I want some amusement, too."**

Mondo growled in fury. "The fact that he only sees us as fucking entertainment is pissing me off!"

"There's a lot of things that's 'pissin us off', as you say." Byakuya stated, eyes narrowed. Once they find out the identity of the mastermind, he will use all his resources from the Togami family to hunt him down!

"Well, at least he gave us some useful information." Kyoko stated, drawing all attention to her.

Makoto was the one to speak. "Really? What do you mean?"

"You'll see." Was all she said.

 **With that, he disappeared, laughing along the way. "He's gone," Sayaka said, a bit to herself. "And once again, he left before we could find out anything useful."**

 **"Really?" Kyoko questioned rhetorically. "I think we learned something very useful. He has no intention of standing in the way of our pursuit of the truth. Interesting."**

"Oh yeah, he did mention that." Makoto agreed. He tapped his chin in thought. "I wonder why, though."

"He's either arrogant or stupid to believe that we can't find anything." Byakuya stated.

"Or he set up measures to make sure we don't find anything." Mukuro suggested. "That's also a possibility."

 _'Or the possibility of losing is too delicious to ignore!'_ Junko thought merrily. She really don't think that her class have a high chance of escaping, but the small possibility is just oh, so, delicious.

 **"Perhaps," Sakura agreed, partially at least. "But what about the videos he mentioned? I'm very curious to see what's on it."**

 **"Same here! Okay, so….!" Mondo started looking around the dining hall, until his gaze landed on Makoto.**

Makoto sighed. "Great." He mumbled. He should've known this would happen.

 **He grinned. "Hey, Makoto! Check this out for us, would ya?" Makoto's eyes widen at the request.**

 **"Huh? Why me?!"**

 **"Cuz you're the closest to the door!" Was the biker's answer. "That's the rule, right?"**

 **"R-Rule?"**

"What rule is that?" Sayaka questioned, a raised eyebrow.

Mondo rubbed the back of his head. "Um, the rule of doing an errand."

 **Mondo sighed. "Hey, hey," He started mumbling. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" He then began shouting. "HEEEY! You see how passionately I'm begging you?! What's the big deal? Just check it out real quick!"**

"Why Makoto of all people?" Kyoko asked, also raising an eyebrow. "Why not someone more capable of handling anything dangerous thrown at them?"

"How the hell should I know?" Mondo asked with a shrug. "Like my future self said, he's the closest to the door. And he probably doesn't think anything dangerous is going to happen."

"You're terrible, you know that?" Sayaka muttered, shaking her head.

 **Makoto silent for a moment. Then, he said shakily. "O-Okay….I guess I'll get going, then."**

 **That made Mondo's anger disappear. "Awesome, thanks! I owe ya one!"**

 **"...If Makoto's going, I'm going with him." Sayaka declared. "It's not safe to walk around this place alone."**

Makoto sighed in relief. "Thanks, Sayaka."

"Anytime Makoto." Sayaka replied with a smile.

 **"Yeah, sure thing. Then we're countin' on the both of ya!" Mondo stated. "If anything happens, just yell and I'll come runnin'!"**

 **Makoto and Sayaka nodded before walking out of the cafeteria. After walking a few feet away from the dining hall, Sayaka spoke. "I can't decide if Mondo is totally dependable or completely terrible." Sayaka admitted.**

 **"Yeah, I'd have to say he's kind of both." Makoto said. _'He's not exactly a bad person, but I definitely can't say he's a good person, either.'_**

"Hey!"

"Sorry Mondo." Makoto apologized. "But to be fair, you did send me to check out the motive by myself. Not to mention the punch you gave me."

"He got you there bro." Taka said, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

Mondo sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."

 **With that, the two went on their way to the A/V room. It didn't take them long to get there, and when they did, they saw a cardboard box sitting on one of the video players. "Huh? A cardboard box?" Makoto and Sayaka went towards and looked inside. Their eyes' widened. "It's…." Makoto began.**

 **"...a bunch of DVDs." Sayaka finished. Sure enough, there are a bunch of DVDs, with names on each one. "And each one has a label on it with someone's names."**

"One hundred bucks says it's the motives that Monokuma was talking about!" Hiro stated.

Leon snorted. "A sucker's bet."

 **"This must be the 'video for each of us' he mentioned." Makoto deduced.**

 **Sayaka nodded in agreement. "I'd better go tell everyone!" With that, Sayaka ran out of the A/V room, leaving Makoto alone. Makoto, meanwhile, just stayed where he was, looking at the discs inside the box.**

 ** _'How are we going to play these?'_ As Makoto thought that, he saw a DVD player underneath the monitor. _'Oh. That's how.'_ He then spoke outloud to himself. "Maybe I'll watch mine real quick, before everyone else gets here."**

 **He then began sorting through the DVDs and after a moment, found the one with his name on it. After that, he took out the disk and slid it into the expensive looking DVD player. He sat down and put on a pair of headphones. He stared at the screen, and when it blurred on….**

 **It revealed his family, all sitting down on his couch. He cried out in alarm and shock. "Mom? Dad? Komaru?" Makoto said in surprise.**

The present Makoto is also surprised. "That's the same video my family sent me, my first few days at Hope's Peak." Makoto realized.

"So that's your family?" Sayaka asked. She smiled. "They look like nice people."

"And they sent a video for you?" Leon asked, snickering a little. Makoto flushed.

"Lay off." He muttered.

 **His mom then started speaking. "You getting picked to attend Hope's Peak Academy is like a dream come true. Make sure you do your best!"**

 **"I'm so proud of you, son." His dad started speaking. "But remember - don't push yourself too hard!"**

 **"Are you really watching this, Makoto?" His sister, Komura, asked. "Good luck, okay?" Makoto couldn't help but gain a happy look on is face at seeing this video.**

Makoto couldn't help but smile at this, though a small blush formed on his face. "Aww, your family is so supportive of you!" Sayaka gushed and teased a little, causing the blush to form more on the luckster.

"You definitely have a loving and supporting family Makoto." Kyoko agreed, a bit envious of that fact. Though she made sure to hide that envy from her voice and facial features.

"Yeah. They're the best alright." Makoto smiled happily. Though while he's happy to see that video again, something is bugging him. Why would Monokuma show him something like this? Was that really a motive to kill? The idea has a little merit, but if anything, it would give him the determination to find a way out without killing anybody.

It also bugged Kyoko and Byakuya as well. They're wondering the same thing Makoto is.

 **"If it had ended there, that would've been fine." The narrator Makoto spoke up. "A message of love and support. After leaving my family behind to attend Hope's Peak, it would have given me hope, given me strength. If this was a normal school, I would've been happy, if not a little embarrassed. With my family's support to rely on, I would've been motivated to do even better."**

 **"But, here, now, it was totally different." Makoto's voice got slightly darker. "I wasn't living an ordinary school life. So I had a pretty strong feeling that the video wasn't going to end there."**

Makoto's happy feeling was slowly replaced to being concerned. What's going to happen? What's going to show next?

 **"I hated having that feeling," The video than began started to switch. "but it turned out that I was absolutely right." And it switched to a destroyed living room, with no one in sight. Makoto's happy face was replaced with absolute horror.**

It was the same with the present Makoto. "Wh-Wha-?" He stuttered, trying to form words, but couldn't. His face pale and eyes were wide with panic.

The others are also shocked by this scene. "What the hell happened to the room?" Mondo cried out. "Did it become a warzone or something?"

"And where's Makoto's family?" Chihiro questioned fearfully. "What happened to them?"

Makoto is shaking now. "Mom. Dad. Komaru." He whispered. Where is everyone?

Kyoko and Sayaka, seeing his state, quickly took his hands and held them tightly in comfort. Mukuro looked away, her heart lurching at the horrified look on Makoto's face.

 _'It's your fault.'_ A voice in her head said _. 'You let this happen. You know Junko's plan, and could've stopped it. You could stop it now. But you won't.'_

Mukuro pushed that voice away. She can't listen to it. She can't abandon her sister again. Even if that means Makoto suffering.

 _ **'Where'd everyone go?'**_ **Makoto thought in panic.** _ **'It looks like a warzone or something.'**_

 **As if to reply, a voice he's growing to hate went through the speakers. "Makoto Naegi, accepted into Hope's Peak Academy. And his family, who supported such a lucky boy. But it seems like….something's happened to this family's well-being! Oh boy, this is bad! What could have possibly happened to this family's well-being?!"**

 **Then the video switched to a sentence, saying "Look for the answer after graduation".**

Some of the horror was replaced with anger. "That fucker!" Mondo roared. "He attacked Makoto's family!"

"And he either took them hostage or worse." Hifumi stated nervously. That did not helped settle Makoto's nerves.

"W-Why?" Makoto asked himslef. "What happened to them? Are they hostages or…." Sayaka and Kyoko gave Hifumi a quick glare before going back to comforting the panicked boy. Hina, Celeste, and Mukuro also looked a bit crossed at Hifumi.

"Makoto, calm down." Kyoko said softly. "Nothing happened to your family in our timeline. Don't worry."

"Yeah, Kyoko's right. Please, don't be so worried." Sayaka added in. Slowly, Makoto is getting himself together.

Junko masked the glee and pleasure she's feeling. Seeing Makoto so shaken up caused her pain in her heart, a pain she welcomes. And to fuel the flame, she said that. "Guys," She spoke up 'nervously'. "If Makoto's DVD showed his family possibly in danger, what's on our DVDs?"

Everyone paused, for a moment, before eyes began widening in realization, horror, and/or anger. "Does that mean our families may be in danger?!" Hina exclaimed in fear.

"It's a likely possibility." Sakura said grimly.

"So that's the motive he's talking about." Byakuya realized, a frown on his face. "Show those close to us being in some form in danger…."

"...thus fueling our desire to leave." Kyoko finished. Makoto finally managed to get himself back together, but he's still scared of the possibility of his family in danger. And also angry at Monokuma.

 **As soon as the video ended, Makoto spoke. "W-What is this?" He shakily asked himself. His voice got louder. "What happened to everyone?!" He started shaking in fear and anger. "GOD DAMMIT!**

 **He slammed his fist on the desk over and over again. "I have to get out of here." He said to himself. He started getting louder again. "I have to get out, right now! I need to make sure everyone's safe!"**

"And it seems like the tactic is working." Byakuya commented. He looked at Makoto.

The luckster gripped his knee. "Could you blame me?" Makoto asked them. "One moment, I saw a video of my family wishing me luck. The next, the living room was a warzone and they're missing. What else was I supposed to think at that moment?"

"No one blames you Makoto." Sayaka assured, though she sounds scared of the possibility of what her future self would see. "Any one of us would think the same way in your position."

"Yeah." Hina agreed, wanting to help cheer up her friend. "And it look like we'll be in your position soon."

 **"Makoto?" Makoto turned his head slightly to see a concerned Sayaka beside him. "What happened? Make sure who's safe?" He turned his head more to see everyone else at the entrance of the A/V room. There's faces are full of confusion.**

 **"Wh-What's going on?" Hina asked him hesitantly.**

 **Not trusting himself to speak, Makoto pointed at the cardboard box. "Is that what Monokuma was talking about?" Leon questioned nervously.**

 **"What's on them?" Taka asked. Everyone gathered around the box, and each of them grabbed their DVDs. They all went to a monitor, sat down, and put their headphones on to watch.**

 **It didn't take long for all of them to react. Cries of shock, anguish, and fear came all around. "What the fuck?" Mondo cried out, eyes wide.**

 **"Th-This can't be real, right?" Hina asked, staring at the screen in fear and anxiety. "It has to be fake, right?!"**

 **"Yeah, no way it's real. Haha….no way." Leon stated, not sounding convincing.**

 **"I can't t-take it, anymore," Toko cried out in anguish, holding her head. "I c-can't take this anymore! Let me out of h-here!"**

"Looks like we're correct with our assumptions." Kyoko said grimly. "It was videos of those close to us in possible danger."

"I wonder what's worse. Imagining the possibilities, or seeing our videos?" Hina asked randomly and nervously.

Makoto was the one to answer. "The latter is the worst, trust me." He told her. "More possibilities are running through my head about what could've happened."

"We'll take your word for it." Taka stated nervously.

 ** _'So everyone is seeing similar videos.'_ Makoto thought grimly. He can see the looks of fear and confusion from everyone. Well, almost everyone.**

 **Kyoko is still calm and collective, staring at the screen in thought. _'Even now she's still calm and collective.'_ Makoto thought in a bit of amazement.**

"How can you still be so calm at something like this?" Hina cried out in disbelief.

Kyoko looked at Hina dryly. "In my line of work, it's required to stay calm at all times." Kyoko replied. "I don't let myself show my emotions to anything."

 _'Well, that's almost true.'_ Makoto mused. There were a few things that can get Kyoko to react, and Makoto knew those few things, but he's not going to exploit them.

 **"I see," She said, mainly to herself. "So this is what he meant by motive. He wants to fuel our desire to leave so that we're more likely to start killing each other."**

 **"It's the classic 'prisoner's dilemma'." Celestia stated.**

"Prisoner's dilemma?" Mondo repeated. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"My other will explain." Celeste replied back.

 **"...Huh?" That response came from Hifumi.**

 **"Let me use this as an example." Celeste began explaining. "Imagine two countries are on the brink of war. But both countries want peace, and each commits to scaling back their forces as a sign of good faith. But there's a chance that one country may betray the other, so each country fears lowering their guard. The result is that neither scales back their forces, and they both end up betraying each other."**

 **"In other words, the fear of invisible treachery becomes the greatest enemy of stability." She concluded.**

"That would be an accurate assessment to what's happening there." Byakuya sighed. "Invisible treachery."

"That video made a bomb that's just waiting to explode." Junko stated 'fearfully'.

 **"That kinda sounds l-like us right now," Toko said nervously. "Everyone says they'll work together, but in our hearts we're all afraid someone might betray us….."**

 **"Don't put those awful thoughts in our head!" Taka protested. "That's exactly what they want us to do!"**

 **"You can say that," Leon started in a accusatory tone. "But maybe you're thinking that once everyone drops their guard, you can just…"**

 **"What?!"**

Makoto shook his head. "They're doing what exactly what Monokuma wants, and what Celeste described." Makoto groaned. "Getting paranoid of each other, until eventually, someone starts killing."

"Makoto is right. Our future selves need to calm down." Sakura grunted. "Or else, this'll end badly."

"Easier said than done." Mukuro said. "Those videos are fresh in everyone's mind."

 **"This is exactly what Monokuma, or whoever's behind this, wants." Sakura cut in. "They want us to fight. Don't you see?"**

 **"Yeah, you're right." Chihiro said, sounding a bit fearful. "We all need to calm down."**

 **"Okay, then. Maybe we should start by all just….talking." Junko suggested. "Maybe if we all just talk about what we saw, that'll help get everything out of our system. Besides, I think we're all super curious, right?"**

Everyone looked at one another. "I have to admit, I'm pretty curious about what's on our videos." Mondo admitted.

"Same." Chihiro agreed. "But at the same time, I don't want to know."

"Yeah. I really don't want scary thoughts running through my head." Hina admitted. "Well, more scary thoughts."

"Well, let's just see what happens." Makoto said, getting back his optimism a little. "If they do talk about it, hopefully it would stop the paranoia and panic. Reduce the risk of us killing each other."

The others nodded in agreement with the luckster. Hopefully, that will happens. Hopefully.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Apologies if you were hoping to see Sayaka's breakdown, but the chapter was getting longer than I expected. The last moments between Sayaka and Makoto will be shown to class 78th in the next chapter. And hopefully, they will also see the moment you all been waiting for in the next chapter. The first murder. How do you think they'll react to that?**

 **Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**


	16. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P8

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. I would've posted this sooner, but I had a nasty cold for a few days and I needed to go to other places. Didn't have time to write as much as I wanted to, but here we are now. So, I really hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 15: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 8

 ** _'Now that she mentioned it, I do wonder what's on everyone's videos.'_ Makoto thought to himself. _'It would be a lie if I said I wasn't curious.'_**

"It would be a lie if any of us said we weren't curious." Leon stated. "Though I'd rather not see it right now. Not after seeing Makoto's video."

Sounds of agreement came from the others.

 **"Hey Sayaka," Makoto turned to his idol friend. Her arms are wrapped around her body, and the girl is shaking a little. "What was in your video?" He asked.**

 **She stayed silent and continued shaking, concerning the lucky student. "What's w-wrong? Just hurry up and t-tell us." Toko said rudely.**

 **Again, Sayaka stayed silent. A look entered Sayaka's eyes, one that Makoto has seen before, further concerning the boy.**

"I think you just made it worse, Toko." Sakura grunted. "You need to think about what to say before you say it."

"I-I'm just saying what I'm thinking. N-Nothing wrong with that, is there?" Toko muttered bitterly.

 **Meanwhile, Sayaka and Makoto stared at the future Sayaka in concern. What on earth did she see to make her act like that? Sayaka felt a bit of dread coming in her heart.**

 **"Sayaka?" Slowly, Makoto touched her hand….**

 **And that was the trigger for Sayaka. "Stop it!" With that shout, she pushed his hand away and ran out of the A/V room.**

Now everyone's concerned for Sayaka. "What she had seen must have been extremely traumatizing." Sakura thought out loud.

"Whatever it was, it was something big, at least for future Sayaka." Kyoko turned to the present Sayaka. "Do you have any ideas?"

Sayaka gulped. "A few." Sayaka admitted. "I'd….rather not think about them right now." If she does, she might end up like her future self.

 **"Sayaka?!" Hina exclaimed in alarm. Some of the others looked alarmed at her sudden departure as well.**

 **Before any of them could chase her, Byakuya spoke up. "Let her go." He said coldly.**

 **"I-I can't do that!" Makoto protested. "I have to make sure she's okay!"**

 **"I h-hate romantic comedies like this." Toko grumbled. "I don't care what h-happens to her, personally…."**

"Seriously?" Hina gaped. "How can you say something so heartless, Toko?"

"W-What? My future self d-doesn't know her, so why should she care?" Toko defended herself.

"It's still an apathetic and cruel thing to say to a person." Sakura chided. "It's why you push people away."

Toko tsked. "Whatever." However, she couldn't help but see that….her words did sound a bit cruel. Watching herself deliver those words brought a new perspective about herself.

 **"That's because you're totally thoughtless!" Junko retorted.**

 **Hina looked to where Sayaka ran off. "I'm….really worried." Hina said.**

 **Celeste sighed. "Then why don't you go do whatever you think you have to?" She questioned. "We don't all have to stick together, right? Speaking of which, I have my own things to take care of. Goodbye."**

 **She along, with several others, started leaving the A/V room and went their separate ways for right now. Makoto also went out, looking for Sayaka.**

"If anybody can help her, it's Makoto." Hina said in confidence. Some of the others nodded in agreement.

Kyoko and Byakuya however, are a little skeptical. Something tells them that Makoto's kind word, however influencing they are, won't help in this situation.

 **The scene changed to Makoto looking around in the hallway. 'Where is she?' Makoto thought worriedly. When he saw an open door, he went inside.**

 **When he entered the classroom, he saw Sayaka sitting on a chair in the corner, with her hands on her knees and her eyes staring absently at the floor.**

That got several of the of the students concerned. "Um, Sayaka?" Chihiro spoke up worriedly. "Is your future self okay?"

"I'm….not sure." Sayaka said, also concerned. The sight of herself like that is very unnerving, and there were a few things that could get her into that state.

 ** _'Sayaka?'_ Makoto thought as he slowly approached the girl. _'Is she upset? Angry, maybe? Wait, no,'_ The luckster got a closer look at Sayaka's face. _'There's nothing. She looks completely emotionless. Like her original mask was completely stripped away.'_**

"What the hell did she see?" Leon questioned.

"It must be something really bad to make her like this." Junko said, making a fake frown.

Present Sayaka is really concerned now.

 **"S-Sayaka?" Makoto spoke up hesitantly. "Are you okay?"**

 **After a moment, she spoke. "Yeah….I'm fine." She spoke slowly. "Actually, no….how could I possibly be fine? What did we do to end up like this? Why are they doing such terrible things to us?"**

 **She then stood up, shouting, "I want out! Let me out of here right now!"**

"This is not good." Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "In the state she's in, she's willing to do anything to get out of the school. Even…."

Sayaka shook a little at the implication, but Makoto shook his head. "No, Sayaka wouldn't do that." Makoto stated. "She's too kind to do that!"

"But like Byakuya said, in the state she's in now, she's willing to do anything." Celeste pointed out.

"Future me will calm her down! I'm sure of it!" Makoto continued firmly.

"I have no doubt about that." Byakuya sighed. "You're too kind-hearted to let her stay like this. Let us hope your words can get through to her."

 **"Sayaka! Calm down!" Makoto grabbed the idol's shoulder, stopping her from thrashing around. "I understand. I know how you feel right now. When I think about what might have happened to my family…."**

 **He closed his eyes, a flash of the video entering his mind, before shaking his head and opening his eyes back in determination. "But now more than ever we have to stay calm! This is exactly what they want. They want us to lose our composure and to stop thinking rationally."**

 **"Think about it - those videos have to be fake!" He continued. "Because if those things really had happened, people out there would be in an uproar. Our families, the police, everyone! Right?"**

 **Sayaka continued to stay silent under Makoto's speech. "So let's just calm down, okay?" Makoto gently asked. "Otherwise, we've already lost."**

"Wow," Hina said in awe. "That was a good speech."

"I agree. It sounds very moving." Sakura agreed with her best friend.

"It is very moving!" Taka stated, tears in his eyes. "That speech is filled with such passion, such determination!"

"You have a gift for words, Makoto." Kyoko smiled at the luckster. Said luckster blushed and smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks. Though my future was probably trying to reassure himself as much as Sayaka." Makoto admitted.

"Still, it was a good and moving speech Makoto." Sayaka complimented. "I felt myself getting calmer."

"But can it get future Sayaka calmer?" Byakuya questioned. "That's the question we should be asking."

"Yeah, she still look a bit frantic." Junko pointed out.

 **"As long as we work together, I'm sure we can find some way out of here. And help might even come before that." Makoto concluded.**

 **"But," Sayaka finally spoke up. "What if there isn't a way out? What if help never comes?"**

 **Makoto gritted his teeth a little at that difficult question. "I-If that happens," His eyes glinted in determination. "Then I'll get you out of her myself! No matter what it takes!"**

Several eyes widen in surprise at the Makoto's declaration. Makoto himself is also shocked by this.

"Did Makoto really just say that?" Leon asked in surprise. "I mean, he's a super positive guy, but this?"

"Yes, he did said it." Byakuya confirmed, just as surprised. "And with such conviction as well."

 **When he said, Makoto paused. _'What the- Why did I say that?'_**

"And it seems like future Makoto is shocked by his own words as well." Celeste commented on.

 **Before he could think anymore on it, Sayaka suddenly launched herself onto Makoto, surprising the boy. "Sayaka?" The idol buried her face into his chest.**

The other girls felt spikes of jealousy, but pushed it away. They all know that right now isn't the time to let their rivalry show.

 **"Please….help me," She cried, her voice small and shaky. "Why? Why is this happening to me? To kill, or be killed….I just can't take it anymore….!"**

 **"Sayaka…."**

Leon, Makoto, Hina, and Sakura couldn't help but frown a bit. Out of the entire class, they knew her the most, so it's….odd, seeing her so emotional. Not to say that she isn't emotional, she just doesn't openly display it.

Kyoko, Byakuya, and Celeste has those same thoughts as well. They may not be as close to Sayaka, but they are observant. And they know Sayaka isn't this emotional.

Sayaka herself also knows this. And since this is her future self, she can also tell that what she's doing is an act. 'Is she planning to….?' Sayaka didn't let herself finish the thought. Just thinking about using or killing any of her friends, especially Makoto, just makes her sick.

Junko was also noticing the act. And is cheering mentally. Looks like a murder is going to happen soon. This is gonna be great! She wonders who Sayaka is going to target.

 **The idol cried a bit of more. Finally, after a moment, she looked up from Makoto's chest, her eyes watery. "Can I," She spoke hesitantly. "Can I believe what you said?"**

 **"Huh?"**

 **"That you'll help me get out?" Sayaka clarified. "No matter what it takes?"**

 **"A-Absolutely!" Makoto answered.**

 **"Makoto," She spoke tearfully. "You're the only one that I can trust. So please, no matter what happens, please always be there for me. I need you by my side…."**

Sayaka frowned fearfully. Yep, this is definitely an act. The feeling behind it is there, sure, but an act nonetheless. And she fears what she's going to do to Makoto.

 **"O-Of course I'll be there for you! No matter what, I'm always on your side. I mean," Makoto smiled. "You are my assistant, after all."**

Shaking off Sayaka's odd behavior, Hina turned to Makoto. "Even seeing the same thing we all did, you're the one doing the comforting."

"And to say that you'll stay by her side, help her get out," Sakura smiled. "It's incredible."

"Though isn't it a bit arrogant, thinking that he could do it?" Junko asked everyone.

Kyoko shook her head. "If it came from anyone else, maybe." The detective said. "But we all know Makoto isn't like that. And what he said didn't have arrogance in his voice. No, that was pure determination."

Several nods of agreement were passed around, making the luckster blush. Still, he wondered to himself how his future self still had the strength to say those things, even after the video. He could chalk it up as his future self growing up, but considering their memories were wiped, he doubts that's the answer.

So he has to wonder….does he have that kind of strength?

 **Sayaka was silent for a moment. Finally, she spoke. "Thank you, Makoto. Hearing you say that, I feel like I can keep going. I can get through this….as long as you're with me." Finally, she smiled. "Like you said, I'm your assistant."**

Getting over Sayaka's odd behavior, Hina smiled in relief. "Good. She's better now."

"The smile is a little forced, but it's definitely an improvement." Makoto agreed.

 _'Don't count on it.'_ Kyoko, Byakuya, and Celeste thought. Something tells them that she's far from better.

 **Suddenly, Monokuma appeared. "It's standing up!"**

 **Sayaka and Makoto yelped, jumping away from each other.**

The others yelped once again. "Will he stop doing that?" Leon complained.

"I doubt he will." Junko sighed.

 **"Makoto! It standing up!" Monokuma repeated.**

 **"What's standing up?!" Makoto exclaimed, frustrated.**

 **"Do you even have to ask?" Monokuma asked rhetorically. He pointed at Makoto's crotch. "Your flagpole!"**

Makoto's eye twitched and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment.. "Like I would react to Sayaka hugging me! I'm not a pervert!"

"Yeah." Leon agreed. "Hifumi would be the one to react though."

"Hey!"

 **Makoto flushed. "Get the hell out of here!"**

 **Monokuma shook his head. "No! No! I wanna join in!"**

 **"Dammit!" Makoto cursed. "Well if you won't leave, then tell us what the hell is up with those videos!"**

"You know Makoto is pissed when he's cursing." Yasuhiro commented on. "The guy almost never curses."

"Well, the bear did ruin the moment between Sayaka and Makoto." Leon pointed out. "Of course he would get pissed."

 **"Ahh….it's about to come out," Monokuma announced, holding his stomach. "It's gonna come out! My pristine, pure white…."**

 **"...Stuffing!" Monokuma finished. "My honest, innocent stuffing is about to come gushing out!"**

"God damnit, that fucking bear is annoying!" Mondo growled. "It's just asking to be punched!"

"How do you think other me feel?" Makoto frowned. It takes a lot to annoy and anger him, and Monokuma is slowly entering in the very small list of things that annoy him.

 **That was the last straw for Makoto. The boy cocked his fist and swung at Monokuma as hard as he could. But it was for naught, as he ended up punching the air, and the momentum in that punch propelled him to crash into one of the desks.**

Several of his gasps in shock. "Is he alright?!" Hina and Sayaka asked in concern.

"That was a close one." Byakuya stated. "If Monokuma didn't dodge the punch, it would've executed Makoto."

Makoto paled a little. Yeah, he was lucky Monokuma dodged that punched.

"Why would you do something so suicidal at the moment?" Hifumi asked him.

Makoto chuckled sheepishly, the paleness still on his face. "I'm guessing my future self wasn't thinking about the consequences. Maybe after seeing the video and Monokuma's rude interruption, it just kinda pushed him over the edge."

"You better get some control over your emotions, Makoto." Kyoko stated with a slight stern glare. "I don't want you to die just because you let your anger out of control."

Makoto felt his spine straighten at the stern glare. "N-Noted."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that." Chihiro voiced. "After all, it's hard to get Makoto angry enough to lose his cool."

Kyoko's eyes softened. "I know. But Monokuma was able to push him over the edge, as we've seen."

 **"A-Are you okay?!" Sayaka exclaimed in concern.**

 **"If I hadn't avoided your punch, you would've just violated school regulations." Monokuma pointed out, his back at the students. He then turned towards them at his next words. "But boy are you slow slow slow slow SLOW! I could've downed a thousand-dollar full-course dinner in the time it took you to finish your swing!"**

 **"Your speed, agility, alertness, passion, boldness, sense of despair, antagonization, it's all lacking!" Monokuma lectured. And with that, he disappeared as fast as he appeared.**

"I'm glad that was fucking over." Mondo grumbled.

"What was the point with that?" Byakuya questioned, a raised eyebrow. "Did he do all that just to ruin the good mood?"

 **The two students were silent for a moment. After that moment pass, Sayaka spoke up. "What the heck was that just now?"**

"I don't blame her for asking that." Chihiro said softly. "We don't even know what to call that."

"How about just him being a jerk?" Hina suggested.

 **Makoto sighed in aggravation. "He just wanted to mess with us."**

 **"Well, for now….you wanna just head back?" Sayaka asked.**

 **"Yeah…."**

 **The scene changed to Makoto and Sayaka at the dorm rooms. "You should get some rest, Sayaka." Makoto suggested. "You still look pretty shaken."**

 **"I'm sorry for making you worry about me," Sayaka apologized. "You're right. I'm going to lay down for a bit."**

 **WIth a nod and small bow, Sayaka went inside her room. And again, the scene changed to Makoto laying on his bed, in his room. _'Jeez,'_ Makoto thought tiredly. _'Seriously, what's going on here? There's just so many problems. I can't even decide what the biggest problem is….'_**

 _ **'That we're trapped in here? That what I saw in the video might be real?'**_ **Makoto began listing off.** _ **'Monokuma? What the mastermind has in store for us? Or….are 'we' our biggest problems?'**_

"Yeah. That's what I'm thinking to." Makoto sighed. "There's a list of problems, and it's hard to decide which one of them is the biggest problem."

"Each one of them has the potential to be the biggest problems." Sakura agreed. "It's hard to decide which one to focus on."

"I say that all of them are equally big." Mukuro spoke up. "And if you put your focus one, you leave yourself defenseless to the other."

"So what are we supposed to do? Deal with those problems all at once?" Leon snorted. "Easier said than done."

 **Makoto stayed silent, staring at the ceiling in anguish. _'I want to get out of here.'_ Makoto thought. _'But I could never kill someone. Do the others feel the same?'_**

The students looked at one another. Several of them would like to say that they wouldn't, that they wouldn't kill each other no matter what, but if they're being honest, only a few of them could honestly say that. Makoto is one of those few.

 **Makoto paused at that thought and sighed.** _ **'Yeah, that's definitely the biggest problem right now.'**_

"Indeed it is." Kyoko agreed with a sigh.

"If desperation doesn't fuel one of us to commit murder, then paranoia might do the trick." Celeste stated.

 **The screen then went dark. After a few seconds a darkness, the ring of a doorbell was heard. The screen lit back up to Makoto opening his eyes. 'Huh?' Blearily, he checked the time. He was surprised when he saw what time it was. "It's almost ten o'clock. I fell asleep without even realizing it…."**

 ** _'Nighttime's about to start….'_ Once again, he spoke out loud. "So how come someone's here?"**

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "Your future self needs to be careful." The detective stated. "After seeing those videos, there are bound to be those who're thinking about killing someone."

"This is Makoto we're talking about. Too trusting for his own good." Byakuya deadpanned.

Sayaka, Hina, and Mukuro frowned in concern for their crush. Celeste is also concerned, but schooled her features as usual.

 **Slowly, he got out of bed and went to the door. When he did, he was met with Sayaka once again. "I'm really sorry to come so late."**

"Sayaka?" Several of them said in surprise. Toko was the one to ask everyone's silent question. "W-What she's doing out s-so late?"

"You don't think she's gonna….?" Junko trailed off.

"No! I would never kill Makoto!" Sayaka denied. Even with her memories wiped, she wouldn't kill such a kind person!

 ** _'Sayaka?!'_ Makoto thought in surprise. Before he could say anything, Sayaka quickly came in and closed the door. "Sayaka? What are you doing out so late?" That he noticed her arms wrapped around herself, and her body trembling. "I-Is everything okay….?"**

 **"Sorry to bother you, but….something really weird just happened." Sayaka told him.**

 **"Something….weird?"**

 **"Just a little while ago, I was laying down in my room," Sayaka began explaining. "And all of a sudden, my door started rattling and shaking."**

What she said, along with the tone of her voice, got most of them to tense up.

 **Makoto tensed up at this. "It was like someone was trying to force the door open." She continued. "My door was locked, so they couldn't get in, of course. But they started shaking the door harder and harder. I was so scared I couldn't even move."**

"Someone try to break into her room?" Hina asked, eye wide.

"But we all know that the doors are locked." Hifumi stated, nervous. "So why would they attempt it in the force place?"

"Maybe they were trying to force themselves in?" Mondo supplied. "But which one of us was trying to do it?"

Kyoko and Celeste, meanwhile, narrowed their eyes. They can already tell Sayaka is lying. What is the idol trying to do?

 **"S-So what happened?!"**

 **"After a while, it just….stopped." Sayaka told him. "I let some time go by, then I got up and opened the door to check outside, but there was nobody there."**

 **"Someone tried to force their way into your room?" Makoto asked in a bit of disbelief. "But….who would do something like that?"**

The classmates couldn't help but think which one of them would've done it. It's hard to imagine any of them trying to force their way in Sayaka's room.

"Well, maybe they wanted to tell Sayaka something." Hiro suggested, after being silent for so long. "Give her a message."

"By trying to break to her room?" Leon questioned incredulously. "Um, I don't think that's a possibility."

 **"It's not like I'm suspicious of anyone here, but still," Sayaka said. "It makes me nervous. What if something like that happened in the middle of the night? What would I do then?"**

"Well, you don't have to worry about that." Hina stated. "We can't go outside during nighttime."

"That's a rule we all agreed to." Byakuya countered. "It wasn't a rule Monokuma made, so any of us could decide to break it."

That wiped that reassurance.

 **"Y-You don't have to worry about that, right?" Makoto said, a bit nervous himself. "I mean, we can't go outside during night time."**

 **"But that's just a promise we made, right? If someone decided to break that promise…." Sayaka trailed off.**

 **Makoto gulped. "Th-Then….why don't you stay in my room tonight? Would that make you feel a little better?"**

"Huh?!" Several exclaimed in shock at the idea Makoto offered eyes widening. Makoto and Sayaka are also surprised by this. They all momentarily forgot at the possible danger future Sayaka was facing.

 **"What?!" Sayaka exclaimed in surprise.**

 **"All it said in the school regulations was that we had to sleep in 'the dorm rooms', right?" Makoto explained. "It didn't say specifically 'which' room each had to sleep room. So…."**

Soon, the shock was gone and Leon, Mondo, and Hiro are cheering and whistling. "Wow, Makoto, you're making a bold move!" Leon cheered.

"Who knew you had the balls to ask that?" Mondo laughed.

Hiro grinned. "Our little guy is becoming a man." Byakuya merely smirked as Makoto and Sayaka blushed up a storm.

Taka, however, have a different opinion. "Makoto, how could you?! Inviting a girl to sleep in the same dorm room with you? That's completely immoral!"

"I-It's not like that!" Makoto protested, his blush getting brighter. Sayaka merely stayed silent, trying to block any fantasies in her mind.

Kyoko and Celeste, meanwhile, momentarily forgot about the fact that Sayaka is lying. Kyoko raised an eyebrow at Makoto's direction while Celeste muffled a giggle at Makoto's flustered state. Mukuro, however, is trying to keep herself from glaring daggers at Sayaka while Hina pouted once more.

"I-It always the innocent that makes these b-bold moves." Toko accused. "N-Next he's going to touch her a-all over when they're in bad." Truthfully, she's know that isn't true. She just like getting a reaction out of the boy.

"Toko!" Makoto shouted, now completely tomato red. "Seriously, it's not like that! Future me is just making sure she's safe!"

Sayaka, though still blushing, smile sweetly at Makoto. "Well, thank you Makoto for trying to keep me safe." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, which made sure the blush on his face stays on.

That small interaction cause Mukuro to grit her teeth tighter, Hina to fume a little, Kyoko to frown, and Celeste to gain a dark aura.

 _'Come on Sayaka, stop rubbing it in!'_ Hina whined.

 **"B-But," Sayaka blushed, looking away from him. "Two people sharing one room is….you know…."**

 **Makoto blinked before blushing up a storm. "Oh jeez, I'm sorry! I didn't even think about it! Honestly, that didn't even cross my mind!"**

 **"No, I know, me neither." Sayaka reassured. "It's not that I mind the idea, but…." Once again, she looked away, the blush still on her face. "Um, if you don't mind, could we maybe switch rooms? Just for tonight?"**

"Switch rooms?" Leon raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You're willing to put him in the same danger?"

"I doubt it's like that." Sayaka protested. "The doors are locked, and secure. It's probably just so I could feel safer."

"Still, you're alright with me staying in your room?" Makoto couldn't help but ask. "That doesn't, like, concern you or anything?"

Sayaka giggled. "I doubt my future self would've suggested it if it did." Sayaka stated. "Besides, you're too innocent to do anything pervy."

 **"Switch rooms?" It didn't take long for Makoto to think about it. "I-If it'll help put your mind at ease, then it's totally fine with me." He scratched the back of his head. "I don't mind you staying in my room, but are you sure you're okay with me staying in yours? That doesn't, like….concern you?"**

 **Sayaka smiled. "It's fine. I trust you."**

 **"In that case, then," The bell suddenly rang, and a few seconds later, the nighttime broadcast was played.**

 **"Oh man, it's already nighttime," Sayaka noted.**

 **"Okay, so it's settled. I'll head to your room right now." A thought suddenly entered his mind. _'Oh, if we're gonna trade rooms, we'd better tade keys, too.'_**

 **"Ah, that's right. We'll have to trade keys." Sayaka agreed.**

 **"Again?!"**

 **"Like I said, I'm pyschic." Makoto waited for the next line to come out. But she didn't say them.**

 **"...Huh?" He said in confusion. "Hey, aren't you gonna say you were just kidding?"**

 **"What if I wasn't just kidding….?" A smile entered her lip.**

"Wait, she really is psychic?!" Hiro exclaimed in alarm.

Several people facepalmed. He could fall for a joke like that, but it's hard for him to believe that what they're watching is real?

"No, you fucking idiot." Mondo groaned. "She was just kidding around, as usual."

 **Makoto couldn't help but be relieved. _'Thank goodness. It looks like she's already started to get back to normal.'_ "Okay, we better trade keys then." He said out loud.**

 **"Yup, let's do it." The two of them then trade keys. When Makoto looked back up, there was another worried expression on her face.**

 **"Makoto….please be careful." Sayaka told him. "If someone comes to the door, don't open it no matter what."**

 **"I won't." Makoto reassured her. "The same goes for you, Sayaka. No matter who it is, don't open your door for anyone."**

 **"Even if I'm sure it's you, I absolutely won't open it." Sayaka stated. "Otherwise, what's the point in even switching?"**

 **Another thought entered his mind. "Oh, by the way….just so you know, my bathroom door tends to get stuck. There's a little trick to opening it." He directed her to said door. "You have to turn to knob, then lift up the door while you pull it out. Just do that and the door should open no problem."**

"T-The showers don't work during nighttime." Toko stated. "Why would she need to know?"

Makoto blushed. "I guess my future self forgot about that."

"Well, I might use it when it's morning time." Sayaka said.

 **"Okay, but the showers don't work during night time anyway, right?" Sayaka reminded him.**

 **Makoto blushed. "Oh, that's right. I totally forgot."**

 **"But I guess I might use it when I get up in the morning. So thank you."**

 **"Okay, well, I better get going." He turned to the direction of the room door. "See you tomorrow Sayaka."**

 **As he went to the exit, Sayaka spoke up. "Oh, and about what I said before," When he turn his head to her, she smiled. "When I said I was psychic, it was really a joke. Honestly, I'm just very perceptive."**

 **Makoto smiled back. "Yeah, I know."**

 **"Well, goodnight then." Sayaka concluded the conversation. "See you tomorrow." With parting smiles towards one another, Makoto left to Sayaka's room.**

"So Makoto is entering Sayaka's room," Hina creased her eyebrow. "I hope nothing bad happens to him."

"I wouldn't worry too much. The locks aren't pickable, and the doors are pretty sturdy." Taka stated. "There only a few of us here that are capable of breaking through by force, and I doubt they would."

Meanwhile, Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows. Why would Sayaka want to switch rooms? Is she planning to murder someone, and then frame Makoto for it? That's the only possibility she could see.

Kyoko sighed. For right now, she'll keep that to herself. She might be wrong, and she doesn't want to spark mistrust amongst her classmates. _'Great. I'm becoming soft.'_ Kyoko thought wryly.

 **The scene changed to Makoto entering Sayaka's room. When he did, he took a small look around. _'So this is Sayaka's room.'_ Makoto thought. _'It doesn't really look any different from mine.'_ "It smells nice, though," Makoto commented, smiling a little.**

 **As he walked to bed, he saw in the corner of his eyes Sayaka's CD in the trash. _'The CD in the A/V room Sayaka had.'_ He thought. _'Which reminds me, I never did found out what was in it. But I'll let her bring it up next time.'_**

 **As he laid down onto the bed, a scent entered his nose. 'Sayaka's….scent.' He smiled dreamily as he slowly fell asleep. 'Maybe it'll bring me some sweet dreams.'**

That got laughs out of some of Makoto's male friends while the boy himself blushed madly at his thoughts being revealed. Sakura and Chihiro chuckled as well, while Byakuya had a faint smirk.

Sayaka blushed a little, but turned to Makoto with a mischievous smile. "Do I really smell that good?"

"Um... I uh... you see... erm," The flustered boy tried to make a response, but couldn't, causing Sayaka to giggle.

It also caused Hina and Celeste to giggled while smiles entered Mukuro's and Kyoko's faced. Despite being jealous of Sayaka, they had to admit, seeing Makoto flustered like that is all too cute.

 **The scene changed to morning, with Makoto walking to the dining hall. When he did, he saw that Hina, Sakura, Chihiro, and Taka was already here. "Hello Makoto, and good morning! Can you believe it? I was the very first one here this morning!" Taka stated cheerfully.**

"Way to go future me!" Taka cheered. "Your fighting spirit is strong!"

Several either shook their head or sighed, though there were smiles on their faces. Only Taka would be happy about being the first one here, even in the situation their future selves are in.

 **Chihiro giggled. "Good morning."**

 **"Mornin'!" Hina chirped.**

 **"I suppose I'm early." Sakura greeted with a smile.**

 **Makoto smiled at them and said his good morning, sitting at the table with them. The narrator Makoto then spoke. "I figured everyone who had arrived on time could be considered model high schoolers."**

"Yeah. Makoto, Taka, Hina, Sakura, Chihiro, and Sayaka seems to be the ones to always be on time." Junko noted. "Especially when Makoto became Class Representative."

Makoto blushed. When it was time to pick a Class Representative, the entire class unanimously picked him. It was shocking for him, especially since Byakuya isn't the type to let someone else be the leader.

Though his excuse was that he already plan to lead an entire corporation. He might as well let a commoner get a minor spot of leadership.

 **"And the ones who showed up a little late…." Mondo, Junko, and Hifumi appeared at the table next.**

 **"Yo." Mondo greeted simply.**

 **"Sorry I'm late!" Junko sung. "My make-up just would NOT cooperate this morning!"**

 **"My apologies, ladies and gentlemen." Hifumi greeted them. "My morning, ah, duty took a little longer than usual."**

 **"...were the types with a more relaxed sense of time." The narrator continued. "Most high schoolers fall into this category."**

"Yep! Me and sis, along with Mondo and Hifumi, are the more relaxed type!" Junko chirped.

Leon looked at Hifumi suspiciously. "What do you mean by morning duties?"

"I just write, that's all." Hifumi quickly reassured. Leon kept his eyes narrowed, but let it go for now.

 **"And finally, the ones who kept everyone waiting forever…." Kyoko, Celeste, Toko, Leon, and Hiro were the last to appear.**

 **"...I suppose I'm late." Kyoko stated simply.**

 **"Good morning, everyone." Celeste greeted.**

 **"My bad, guys! Slept right through the alarm!" Leon said sheepishly.**

 **"Wh-What? Is it s-so awful to be l-late?" Toko questioned.**

 **"I didn't oversleep, just so you know. Nope, got lost!" Hiro stated. "I blame the Bermuda Triangle…."**

 **"...Don't care about time or other people in general." The narrator Makoto began to conclude. "They're the kind to move at their own pace."**

"And that would be Kyoko, Celeste, Byakuya, Leon, Toko, and Hiro." Junko listed off.

Toko scoffed. "L-Like I would care for y-you people."

"Yeah, right." Hina snorted. "You love us. Admit it!"

"Like a t-tumor."

Byakuya gave Hiro a blank stare. "The Bermuda Triangle? Really?"

"Hey, that Triangle always messes up people's perception of time! Maybe it messed with my perception too!"

"But you aren't even in the Triangle, Hiro." Sakura sighed. "If you're trying to make an excuse, make a more believable one."

 **"But regardless, everyone had arrived." Right after, the tone shifted. "At least, that's how it was supposed to go…."**

 **"Wait, aren't we still missing some people?" Taka questioned.**

That got everyone's attention. "Yes, he's right." Hina realized. "Byakuya and Sayaka aren't there yet."

"Well, maybe they're late like the others." Chihiro supplied.

 **Hina confirmed it. "Yeah, Sayaka and Byakuya aren't here yet."**

 **Makoto frowned. _'I don't know about Byakuya, but I would definitely put Sayaka in the "model high schooler" category. So for her to be so late….'_**

 **Soon enough, Byakuya arrived. "What's going on? Did something happen?" He inquired.**

"So Byakuya arrived." Leon noted. "But Sayaka didn't."

"And like Makoto said, she's in the 'model high schooler' category." Celeste stated. "What caused her to be so late?"

 **"Hey man!" Mondo greeted. "Have you seen Sayaka?"**

 **"Why would I have? I just came straight from my room to here." Byakuya explained.**

 **"Did she forget about our breakfast promise?" Hifumi inquired.**

 **Kyoko frowned. "I got the sense she always has her stuff together."**

 **Makoto frowned, uneasiness creeping into his mind. He looked at Sayaka, who looked back. The two of them are feeling the same amount of uneasiness.**

 **Makoto felt uneasiness to grow inside him. And it kept growing until he got up from his chair. "I-I need to go." He told everyone. "I have to check on her!"**

By now, everyone is getting worried. "Do you think she's….?" Hina trailed off fearfully.

"No! That isn't possible!" Taka shook his head. "Why would any of us kill her?"

"Those messed up videos, remember?" Junko reminded him. The moral compass blanched a little.

Sayaka herself is gripping her fist nervously. It's not what everyone thinks, is it?

 **Those words barely flew from his mouth before he ran out the dining hall. He headed straight to Sayaka's room and burst in. When he did, he saw that the room had completely transformed, from neat and tidy to destroyed and demolished. "W-What the hell?!"**

Several eyes widen at this as well. "Woah Woah! What the fuck happened?!" Mondo yelled loudly.

"The room! It's completely destroyed!" Hina exclaimed. "How?!"

"And where's Sayaka?" Makoto asked worriedly.

The present Sayaka is shaking in trepidation. Could it be? Did she actually….?

 **He looked around, trying to see any sign of Sayaka, when he spotted the bathroom door. "The bathroom. I'd better go take a look." He went inside the bathroom. "Let's….take…." He slowly started trailing off. "A….look….in….side…." His eyes widen in shock and horror.**

 **Right in front of him was Sayaka Maizono, dead, on the floor, blood splattered around her and on her clothes, and a knife in her stomach.**

 **Makoto screamed at the site of Sayaka's corpse. "What I saw dug it ways through my eyes and buried itself within my brain." The narrator Makoto stated. "I couldn't stop screaming. And then….And then…."**

 **Makoto voice died down before falling on his back. When he landed, the screen turn black. "...Everything went black."**

Silence. Dead silence filled the entire room. Nobody could believe what they are seeing. Hina and Chihiro covered their mouths. Leon and Taka felt themselves pale in the face. Toko fainted from site of blood. Even Kyoko felt herself shock at seeing Sayaka dead, despite suspecting that the idol had died.

Makoto felt himself shaking, his eyes widen in horror. He wanted to scream. He wanted to shout. He could feel himself about to burst. But before he could, he remembered that the present Sayaka is with him and turned to her.

The girl is shaking, her eyes widen with just as much horror, if not more so. Seeing herself, dead on the floor, a knife in her stomach….it's horrifying. And this is her possible future. "I'm….dead?" Sayaka whispered. "Someone….killed me?"

Unfortunately, Hiro chose the wrong time to speak up. "Wait, this is still a prank, right?" He asked nervously. "I mean, sure, that's blood look really real, but…."

Sayaka whirled to him in anger. "You still think this is a prank?!" She shouted in fury. "Newflash Hiro! It isn't! This is real! This is our future! This is my future self dead on the floor!"

"Nope!" Hiro shook his head rapidly. "Nope, nope, nope, nope! Not going to fall for it! Not going to!" A strained smile entered his face.

Sayaka screamed and lunged at him, but Leon and Makoto grabbed her by the arms. "Sayaka, calm down!" Makoto exclaimed to the idol. "Calm down, please!"

Slowly, Sayaka calmed down from her anger. But she ended up latching onto Makoto, burying her face into his chest, shivering. The lucky student wrapped his arms around her in response, trying to give some comfort.

With everyone's attention on Sayaka right now, Junko couldn't contain herself any longer. She tried her hardest to contain herself and to stop convulsing around in her seat from the euphoria of despair. She wrapped her arms around herself as muffled noises of glee and laughter escaped her mouth. Junko didn't care if anyone caught her right now, it'd only make her feel better.

Mukuro gave Junko an odd glance as she started shifting around next to her, but knew that she would be fine. Junko's just enjoying herself. What concerned the soldier now, was how Makoto was going to fare with everything.

 _'This is only the beginning... Can... Can I really go through with this?'_ she thought as she looked over at Makoto still holding Sayaka and softly stroking her back in an attempt to reassure her.

"So," Hifumi began shakily. "One of us really killed Sayaka?"

When he asked that, horror entered nearly everyone's eyes. Since Sayaka is laying dead on the floor….that means one of them killed her.

Someone within Class 78th has murdered one of their own.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked the reactions, and has met your expectations. So, they seen the first murder happen. Next up, they're going to see the second murder. Wonder how a certain Fenrir soldier will react to that. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	17. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P9

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, last chapter ended with the group watching Sayaka's death. Now, they're going to see the beginning part of the first class trial, as well as another death. I hope I got the reactions down. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 16: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 9

 **(Chapter 1 - To Survive - Deadly Life)**

"That's not a good sign." Junko stated, finally managing to calm herself. Everyone couldn't help but agree to that.

"Is Makoto okay?" Hina asked, remembering that he blacked out.

"He probably is." Byakuya said. "He must've just fainted from seeing Sayaka dead."

 **The screen changed to Makoto's point of view, the boy slowly opening his eyes. When he did, he saw that he was looking a familiar ceiling and a familiar face. "Ah! You're awake! Finally! Are you okay?" Hina asked him in concern.**

" **Now's no time for sleeping. Get your ass up!" Mondo growled, his head bowing down.**

"Dude, calm down man" Leon said. "Seeing Sayaka dead in his own bathroom is not something he could brush off. It's not something any of us could have brush off in his shoes."

Mondo sighed. The biker clenched his fist and closed his eyes, looking a bit blue in the face. "Yeah, I know."

" **Huh….?" Was Makoto's slow response.**

" **You were unconscious, dude." Hiro told him. "I had to carry you back here."**

" **It's no surprise, considering what happened." Sakura stated.**

" **What….happened?" That's when the memories of Sayaka, dead in his own bathroom, came rushing back. "Gr-Graaaah!" He cried out in horror.**

" **H-Hey, are you okay?!" Hina asked, startled.**

 **He ignored the question. "So it wasn't a dream?" The lucky student asked, sitting up. "What I saw….it was real?"**

" **That's right. It really did happen." Byakuya said coldly. "Sayaka….is dead." Makoto's face contorted into horror and despair at Byakuya's cold answer.**

Several of the students' hearts' broke at seeing their favorite lucky student with a horrified look on his face. Even Byakuya felt himself getting emotional at Makoto's horrified state before looking away. Maybe he should've been a bit more tactful with giving the news.

Hina and Chihiro started tearing up at seeing this while Celeste and Kyoko felt their eyes getting misty. The others, such as Leon and Mondo, had to look away from the screen for a moment.

Mukuro gripped her knees at the sight. This was because of her. Makoto is like this, because she didn't stop Junko's plan. Seeing him so horrified is ripping her up inside.

Once again, she had to ask herself. Could she really go through with this?

Junko felt like shaking in glee and crying at the same time. Seeing Sayaka dead, Makoto screaming, the horrified look on his face when it was confirmed it wasn't a dream, it's all so despairful! It makes her want to orgasm, but at the same time, she wanted to cry at Makoto's horrified state. It was glorious!

 **Suddenly, Makoto shot up and took off running. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" Byakuya called out.**

 **Makoto stopped and turned to the prodigy. "I have to see for myself!" Makoto shouted. "I have to see if Sayaka is-! If Sayaka is….!"**

" **You can check once, twice, a thousand times." He told him coldly. "Sayaka is completely and irrevocably dead!"**

Sayaka flinched and buried her face further into Makoto's chest. Makoto, in response, tightened his hold on her and continued stroking her hair.

"You could be a little more sensitive Byakuya." Sakura sighed. "This isn't something people could just accept."

Byakuya sighed. "Perhaps." Was all he said.

" **No!" Makoto shouted. "I have to see for myself!"**

" **Listen to us, man! Whaddya think's gonna happen if you go out there?" Mondo asked him.**

" **Well what good is it gonna do just sitting around here?!" Makoto retorted. "I mean, why are we all hanging out in the gym at a time like this?!"**

"Yeah, now that he's mentioning it, why are we at the gym?" Leon asked. "I would've thought we would be gathered in his room."

"Monokuma must've summoned us to the gym." Kyoko deduced. "That's the only possibility as to why we're there."

"And we listen to the fucker?!" Mondo growled. "He's the damn reason why this happened!"

"That's why we listen to him." Kyoko stated, a bit coldly. "No matter how we feel about him, he's our future selves' kidnapper. Disobeying him would be unwise."

Makoto sighed. "She has a point." The luckster said. "We saw what he tried to do to Mondo for attacking him."

"What makes you think he wasn't the one that killed me?" Slowly, Sayaka got out of Makoto's embrace, though she kept a hand gripped onto his own. "How come we aren't thinking that he didn't do it?"

Byakuya crossed his arm. "While it would be nice to pin it on the bear, for one, it would be too convenient." Byakuya began explaining. "And two, if he wanted to kill us, he could've done so in the beginning instead of telling us to kill each other."

" **Our friend….Sayaka….she's…." Finally, he shouted. "She's dead!" When he said that, he looked down. The horror and despair is still on Makoto's face.**

Sayaka and Makoto gripped each other's hand tightly. The idol is glad Makoto is at her side. Otherwise, she felt that she would've broken down.

 **Kyoko spoke up. "None of us want to be here right now, either."**

" **Then….why?"**

" **Sh-Shouldn't it be obvious? Monok-kuma," Toko answered. "He told us all to c-come here."**

" **Well, hold on! Don't talk like that. We all protested it!" Taka stated. "I mean, we remember the terrible price Sayaka had to pay. B-But…."**

" **I'm the one who convinced them to come." Kyoko told Makoto. "Right now, we need to do whatever he says. We're his prisoners, right? It's not a good idea to defy him without reason. We don't need to make any more sacrifices than we already have."**

Leon scowled. "While you have a point Kyoko, it still pisses me off that we have to listen to him."

"I wouldn't expect any of us to be happy about it, or all of us to be resigned." Kyoko stated. "And I doubt my future self would either."

 **Makoto stayed silent for a moment. Then, he spoke. "Why should we listen to anything he has to say?" A scowl entered his face. "It's obvious he's the one who killed Sayaka!"**

 **As he said that, Monokuma appeared. "I would never do that!" Monokuma denied. "If you can believe anything, you can believe that!"**

 **Leon growled in anger. "He's here again…."**

" **Unless someone violates a school regulation, I absolutely will not interfere." The bear stated. "I can promise you, I won't do anything that goes against the purpose of your school life here. I'm famous at safari parks throughout the world for following the 'Bear-Times-One' rule!"**

Mondo growled. "I really wish I could say that the fucking bear is lying."

"But like Byakuya said, if he wanted to kill all of us, he could've just done it earlier." Kyoko said. "Or if he wanted to frame one of us, he wouldn't need to resort to showing us motives."

" **Then….who did it?" Chihiro asked fearfully. "Who killed her?"**

" **You already know the answer!" Monokuma declared. "The one who killed her is….one of you!"**

 **Everyone was silent at this. Makoto felt his horror grow.** ' _ **One of us….killed Sayaka?'**_ **Makoto thought. He shook his head.** ' _ **Don't be stupid. That's….'**_

"The only logical answer." Byakuya sighed. "As much as we don't want to believe it."

"So one of us really did kill Sayaka." Hina covered her mouth, "But who?"

Sayaka looked at all of her friends. Who could've killed her, and why?

" **Hmm? What's the matter?" Monokuma questioned, tilting his head. "You guys all look like you're about to see a dove get shot up with a Gatling Gun! Don't you remember what I told you when this all began? One of you decided to kill Sayaka so that you could graduate! Someone's just following the rules. There's nothing wrong with that!"**

"Everything is wrong with that!" Taka shouted. "Killing someone just so they could escape? That's wrong!"

"Don't pretend it's normal, you fucking bear!" Mondo roared.

 **Hifumi shakily spoke up. "Y-You're lying….right?"**

" **Of course he's lying!" Makoto exclaimed. "I'm telling you, he killed her!"**

Makoto gripped his fist. He wish he could believe that, that none of them was the killer. That last thing he wants to do is doubt his friends.

But he knew that one of them did it. He doesn't know why, but he, along with everyone here, just knew that Monokuma wasn't lying.

 **Monokuma rebuked his accusation yet again. "Nope, sorry. One of you is now a bona fide killer. If they wanted to, the one who did it could testify to that little fact."**

" **What….?" Without thinking, Makoto looked around at everyone. Everyone else did the same, a combination of fear, suspicion and confusion in the air.**

" **A-Are you serious?" Chihiro asked, tearing up.**

" **Someone," Taka became very pale. "Someone killed someone!"**

" **It's amazing what some people are capable of." Celeste remarked.**

" **Hey, hold on!" Mondo protested. "Don't assume he's telling the truth!"**

" **That's enough." Byakuya said loudly, silencing everyone talking. "Before we do anything else, I'd like to confirm something with the stuffed animal here." He turned to Monokuma. "If one of us really did kill her, that person gets to graduate from the school, right?"**

" **...Huh?"**

" **Don't play dumb!" The heir demanded. "That's what you said, isn't it?! If you kill someone, you get to leave!"**

"Hang on a minute, why do you want to know about it?" Mondo asked.

Byakuya scoffed. "If you think that I was the one who killed her, I very much doubt it. If I did, I wouldn't ask that question and draw suspicion to me. Plus, I don't succumb easily to desperation."

" **Puhuhu," Monokuma started giggling, more and more until it became a full blown evil laughter.**

" **Why are you laughing?!" Leon questioned, pale.**

 **After a few more giggles, the bear answered. "It's cuz….naive. You're just so naive!" He let a barking laugh. "You think it's really that easy? That you can just kill someone and waltz on outta here?! You're super naive! Devilishly naive! HELLISHLY NAIVE! No, no, no, the real thing has just begun."**

"Wait, you mean there's more?!" Leon exclaimed.

"Not surprising." Celeste said. "If you recall the sixth rule, it's stated that you can't be caught if you're the 'blackened'."

"Which mean you have to get away with the murder in order to leave." Byakuya summarized.

"Meaning that Monokuma's got something set up for that." Kyoko deduced. "Something we might not like."

"Oh come on. Can we get a break here?" Hina whined.

" **The….real thing?" Makoto asked cautiously.**

" **Are you ready?!" Monokuma asked everyone. "Allow me to explain the second part of the rule regarding graduation! Just like I explained before, you must kill someone if you want to leave. However, even if you do that, there's still one more part to the agreement you have to uphold, remember?"**

 **Celeste was the one to answer. "You are referring to rule number six of the school regulations. If you are the 'blackened' that committed the murder, you can't be found out by the other students. That is what you're talking about, is it not?"**

" **Bingo!" Monokuma confirmed eagerly. "It's not enough to just kill someone. You have to actually get away with it! Which naturally means you need a system in place to assess whether or not it's been gotten away with! So, a certain amount of time after a murder has taken place, a class trial will begin!"**

"A class trial?" Makoto furrowed his eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Not anything good, I suspect." Celeste stated. "And it looks like our answers were correct."

' _ **Class….trial?'**_ **Thought a confused Makoto.**

" **Yup! It'll begin a few hours after the murder!" Monokuma stated. "Everyone will gather together, including the blackened who committed the murder. And they and the spotless students will all engage in one debate showdown!"**

 **The scene changed into a image of boys and girls facing each other in podiums, with Monokuma on a throne. "During the trial, you'll have to present your argument about who you think the blackened is" The bear began explaining. "And once everything comes to an end, the outcome will be decided by popular vote! If the answer you arrived at is correct, only the one that disturbed your peace will be punished. The rest may continue their communal life."**

" **However," The bear continued. "If you choose poorly, then the one who got away with murder will survive, and the rest of you will receive your punishment. Which will means your school life will come to an end! As far as class trials go….that's all there is to it!"**

"Wait, so you mean he wants us to point the finger at someone?" Makoto questioned in shock. "Condemn them to this punishment he keeps talking about?"

"And what does he mean by punishment?" Hina asked nervously.

"I think we can all guess that." Byakuya sighed.

 **The scene switched back to the gym. "So, um," Hifumi spoke up nervously. "What exactly is this 'punishment' you keep talking about?"**

" **Oh! Well, to put it simply," Once again, the bear dropped another bomb. "It's execution!"**

Several eyes widened in horror and skins started paling. Makoto, reveling in his own horror, cried: "Execution?!"

"Is he fucking serious right now?!" Mondo exclaimed, very pale.

" **E-Execution?!" Hifumi screamed in terror.**

" **And by executions, you mean…." Before Chihiro could finish that, Monokuma suddenly got in front of her, causing the programmer to yelp and land on her butt.**

Several others yelped at the speed. "Chihiro!" Taka exclaimed.

"You get the fuck away from her!" Mondo shouted in anger.

T **he camera got another close up to Monokuma face. "Execution is….execution. Ex-e-cution!" Monokuma emphasized. "Electric chair, bzzt bzzt! Poisonous gas, cough cough! Torn apart like a paper plane in a hurricane!" After that, Monokuma jumped away from Chihiro.**

By now, nearly everyone is pale in horror. "So if we pick the wrong person, all of us will die," Kyoko began summarizing. "But if we get the right person, they'll be executed."

"So's he forcing us to condemn a person to be killed?!" Makoto exclaimed. The boy is shaking now. "That's insane!"

"That is way too cruel." Hina said, covering her mouth. "Having to find out the death of one of our own, and then immediately condemn the killer to die."

"I know they killed, but that doesn't mean they deserve to die." Chihiro said, near tears.

Meanwhile, Sayaka stayed silent, her hand still in Makoto's, a conflicted look on her face. Makoto looked at her in concern, but stayed silent for right now. He's got the feeling that she'll tell him about it later.

 **By now, several of the students are quite paled. "S-So, to make sure I understand," Taka spoke up, also looking pale. "If we get the culprit right, then only they die. But if we get it wrong, all the rest of us gets….executed?"**

" **What a smart chimpanzee you are!" The bear complimented. "Look at you, implying you didn't do it without actually saying it!"**

"Is he accusing me?!" Taka exclaimed in outrage. "I would never kill someone!"

"Hey you fucking bear, going lay your accusations somewhere!" Mondo shouted in anger. "Don't you fucking dare accuse my bro!"

"Already planting suspicion amongst us. That bear is going to be a nuisance." Byakuya sighed.

" **So it's basically what the outside world calls a 'lay judge' system, or an inquisition type thing!" Monokuma explained. "Which means you'll be deciding who you think the killer is. But judge carefully, cause all of your lives are on the line!"**

"That bear created a double edge sword." Mukuro said quietly. "If we get it right, we'll have to live with the guilt of condemning someone to death. If we get it wrong, then we'll die. Either way, he would get what he wants."

"Clever and cruel. That's what that sword is." Sakura stated, her eyes brimming with anger. Once she finds this mastermind, she won't let them escape from her grasp.

" **Okay, let me just add the rule I just described to your handbook. Make sure to keep it in mind!" Monokuma then pulled out a E-handbook and added the rule in.**

 **Just as he finished, Junko suddenly spoke. "W-Wait, hold on a second!" Junko spoke up in anger. "You're freaking insane, you know that?!"**

The disguised Mukuro's statement got everyone's attention. "Mukuro," Makoto said, concern in your voice. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not sure." Mukuro narrowed her eyes in thought. Her sister, Junko, is also thinking.

" **Hmm?" Was Monokuma's response.**

" **A class trial? What the hell is that?!" She exclaimed. "I don't want anything to do with it!"**

" **Why not?"**

" **Whaddya mean, why not?! Why do I have to waste my time trying to figure out who murdered someone?!"**

Several's eyes began to widen. "Mukuro, you're putting yourself in danger." Kyoko stated. "My future self did say it isn't wise to disobey him right now."

"I guess my future self saw the class trials as too cruel. Condemning someone to get murdered is not something I would want to be a part of." The soldier said. "I may have killed as my time in Fenrir, but my enemies fought back. I don't choose who to be killed."

Inwardly though, she thinks that Junko must've order her to say those things. Junko is thinking the same thing.

" **What?!" Exclaimed the bear. "Are you say saying you're not gonna participate in the trial?! Only punishment awaits such blasphemy!"**

 **That took Junko aback. "What? Punishment?!"**

"Please don't tell me he's going to kill Mukuro." Makoto pleaded.

Mukuro blushed at her crush concern as Junko spoke up. "Don't worry! I'm sure sis can handle anything thrown at her!"

"I know. But still, I'm a bit worried for her." Makoto stated back, making Mukuro blush more, despite the situation.

" **I might," Monokuma try to think of a good punishment. "I dunno, throw you in a deep, dark, scary prison or something!"**

' _Oh! That's what future me is doing!'_ Junko figured out. ' _Get my hopeless sister in a jail cell to set an example to the others!'_

 **That got Junko's fire back. "Shut the hell up!" She shouted in anger. "Say whatever you want, I'm not gonna be part of this!"**

" **Don't be so selfish!" Monokuma growled.**

" **You're the one being selfish!" Junko countered back. "Kill whoever you want, it's got nothing to do with me!"**

The group couldn't help but cheer for Mukuro. "You fucking tell that bear Mukuro!" Mondo cheered.

"Yeah! We won't be a part of his sick game!" Hina whooped.

Sayaka couldn't help but frown. From sounds of it, they don't care who murdered her. She knew that it wasn't what they're thinking, that none of them simply doesn't want to condemn someone to death, but the thought still came up in her mind.

She shook her head. She needs to stop this line of thinking. Condemning someone to die is not something she should want.

" **The evil standing before me," Monokuma began trembling. "I'm trembling with fear!" He then stopped trembling and brought out his claws. "But I won't give in to such evil! It's my style to stick it out and resist till the very end! If you really want to get out of here, you'll have to go through me first!" He then began running, though it look like more of a waddle.**

Despite the situation, the group couldn't help but laugh at the site of a running Monokuma. "Quite the drama queen there." Celeste stated.

"Yeah, seriously." Leon rolled his eyes, still snickering. "Go roleplay in your own time."

"If he's trying to be serious, he's failing." Byakuya remarked.

 **However, before he could get close, he was suddenly got stepped up by none other than Junko Enoshima. "Gyumeh!"**

That got everyone to stopped laughing. "What the hell are you doing?!" Leon exclaimed.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Hina questioned.

Makoto looked at her in heavy concern. "Mukuro?"

"Monokuma says that he would lock her in a cell." The soldier reminded them. "So I should be fine."

" **Are you enjoying yourself now?" Junko rhetorically asked.**

" **Are you?"**

" **Huh?"**

" **Violence against the Headmaster Monokuma is not allowed." The bear said menacingly. "You've violated a school regulation…."**

Sakura sighed. "At least she won't get killed. I'm glad for that."

"And look at it this way! If she gets put in jail, then she could break out and find out more about the mastermind!" Hina stated, after thinking about it. "She's the Ultimate Soldier, right? So it should be easy for to break out!"

"That is a possibility." Celeste mused.

Makoto beamed. "Our future self is going to have hope!"

Mukuro had to withhold a wince while Junko had to withhold laughter. For Mukuro, she can't help but feel bad for indirectly giving them that hope. For Junko, it's so funny and so despairful that they're relying on Mukuro, when her hopeless sister is on her side.

" **I invoke the mighty summoning spell! Help! To me, godly spear Gungnir!"**

 **The camera suddenly moved to Makoto and the others as several whooshing sounds were made. Makoto's eyes widen in horror at what he said.**

" **Wh….?" Junko's face is blue, and her mouth and eyes are open wide in shock. "H-Huh?" The camera angle then enlarged and move downward to show spears all through her body. "This wasn't….supposed to….why….me?" As her eyes shot wide, the spears suddenly pull out of her simultaneously. It cause blood to splatter and for the fashionista to fall down in a limp, letting out one last breath.**

The slightly happy air evaporated completely when they saw the death of Mukuro. And like when they saw Sayaka's death, eyes were wide with shock, faces were pale in horror, and the whole room is completely silent.

Hina was the one to speak up first. "Mukuro's….dead?" She said in horror.

"What the fuck….?" Leon breathed, his whole face pale.

Makoto is shaking in horror. Sayaka was bad enough, but now Mukuro? Two of his closest friends, dead right in front of him in such a short time. "No," He said hoarsely, the horror etched into his vocal cords. And like he did with Sayaka, he looked towards Mukuro.

Said girl couldn't keep her emotions out of her face as she sat frozen in her seat. Shock, confusion, horror, and despair is written all over her face. She's….dead? And the one who killed her was her own sister? What's worse was that it seemed like her future self sounded confused and shocked from her words as well. It was a one-sided betrayal.

Even Junko, with Ultimate Analyst abilities, was shocked at what she saw. "I….Mukuro….she….wha…." Suddenly, a mass amount of despair and pleasure shot right through her body, causing her eyes to roll to the back of her head and herself to simultaneously faint onto the floor.

"T-T-This is horrible," Chihiro covered her mouth, tears spilling on her cheeks. "Two of our friends our dead now."

"This is a dream! A very bad dream!" Hifumi exclaimed, holding his face in terror.

"We wish it was." Byakuya stated, his fists clenched tightly and his face quite pale. "But no. This is our possible reality."

Makoto, who was still staring at Mukuro, gain a look of concern. He could only imagine what she's thinking right now. He wanted to go to her, see if he could do anything to help, but there's another person by his side, who also needs his help. He'll have to speak to Mukuro later.

 **Shock and horror filled the gymnasium. "Wh-What the….?" Hina covered her mouth, looking quite pale.**

" **I don't…." Tears once again filled up the programmer's eyes.**

" **Th-This can't be real." Leon breathed, looking very pale.**

" **NO WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!" Hifumi screamed in horror.**

 **Monokuma then spoke up, slowly getting up from the floor. "Now I'm painfully aware of the great power and meaning of a promise." He stated. "I really wanted to keep a corpse from popping up for no good reason, ya know? But I guess you all needed to be taught a lesson, after all. Ahh, what an amazing promise! But now you guys understand, right?"**

 **Once again, a close up to Monokuma's face happened. "Now you see just how serious I am." The bear said menacingly. "Defy me and you get shot full of holes, exploded, buried alive, disintegrated….etc. So, if you don't want that to happen to you, you'd best obey these school regulations!"**

Celeste turned to Byakuya. "What did you say about him failing to be taken seriously?"

"I have may spoke too soon." Was Byakuya statement.

Mukuro, meanwhile, had a thought in her mind. ' _She killed me….just so she could set an example to the others? Was I... really so... expendable?'_

 **Makoto himself is looking at the now dead Junko Enoshima in horror, an unbelievable amount of blood pouring out of her. His eyes are wide and face pale. "It's really not all that shocking." The bear stated. "She just died, that's all. Just went and died. It's no more remarkable than the inevitable demise of the entire human race. It's just as natural as the eventual end of the world itself."**

Makoto gripped his free fist in anger. "Is the death of a human being, the death of our friend that irrelevant to him?" The luckster questioned. "That bastard!"

Mukuro turned to Makoto, surprised. It wasn't often for her to see Makoto angry, much less, for her.

"Makoto?" Hina looked at him in concern.

Makoto sighed, calming himself down a little. "Sorry. Seeing two of my closest friends die, with the latter's death being so casually dismissed by the bear, it's just so aggravating."

Mukuro continued to be surprised by his words. Closest friend? He really considered her that?

" **This isn't some superhero comic. So it's not like when you die, you didn't really die." The bear continued. "This is reality!"**

" **...Why did you have to kill her?" Kyoko asked him. "Didn't you say you would put her in a prison or something?"**

" **I changed my mind." Was Monokuma's response.**

Mukuro clenched her fist. More questions filled her head. Did her sister do it….on a whim? A last minute decision? Was it revenge for her leaving?

 **Kyoko shook her head. "No, you've been wanting to kill this entire time."**

" **Kill this entire time?" Monokuma tilted his head in confusion. "Don't be silly, you can't kill time! Or are you being metaphorical? Are you saying I wanted to waste time this whole time?" That thought got him looking angry. "Come on, what do you take me for? I'm Monokuma!"**

"He's avoiding the question." Sakura stated.

"Or, he's trying to make a fool out of Kyoko." Leon suggested, Kyoko slightly frowning at the last suggestion.

" **Anyways, none of that matters now." Monokuma got back to the main subject. "I have something I'd like to give you to help you in your search for the blackened!"**

 **He then pulled out a black file out of nowhere. "This little file has all the information I've gathered about the death in question. I like to call it….The Monokuma File! I mean, naturally you guys aren't experts at this kind of thing, so you can only do so much with a corpse."**

"Um, Kyoko is an expert at this." Leon pointed out. "With her help, we'll be able to find the culprit."

Kyoko nodded. "I should be able to do it, especially with the file that Monokuma gave us."

Makoto gripped his fist. "I don't know want to see anyone else die, much less sentence them to death." Makoto admitted. "But our future selves doesn't have a choice. And we can't let Sayaka's murderer get away with it either."

"True. Sayaka's death can't go unpunished." Taka agreed. He then looked down. "I just wish our future selves didn't have to do it Monokuma's way. I don't wish for the death of one of our own."

" **So instead, I've gathered up everything I know about the circumstances and cause of death." The bear continued. "What's that? How do I know the cause of death, you ask? Cuz the surveillance cameras picked up the whole thing! I got see it all go down!"**

Another spark of anger coursed through Makoto. He knew that it should be expected for Monokuma to watch, to not do anything, but….the fact that it happened still made the luckster feel anger towards the mastermind.

"He sounds so….happy about it." Hina stated, covering her mouth in horror and disgust. "This guy is sick."

"At least it will be a fair trial." Kyoko sighed. "While it's disturbing he saw it all, it's….reassuring that the trial will be fair."

"That doesn't feel right." Chihiro said, feeling a bit sick.

"It's not suppose to." Was Kyoko's comment towards the statement.

" **Wait, so then….you know who killed Sayaka?" Kyoko clarified.**

" **Of course I do!" Monokuma confirmed. "If I didn't, I couldn't possibly pass a fair and accurate judgement during the trial, now could I?"**

" **That's a good point." Kyoko reluctantly conceded. "The judge has to be able to make the proper decision. That's….somehow comforting."**

"Don't get me wrong, but I kinda wish it wasn't." Leon said, looking sick as well. Several others look so as well, especially Sayaka.

Said idol is holding her mouth, keeping her silent cries from coming out. The fact that the sick bastard watched her die made her very ill. Makoto, knowing how she's feeling and feeling ill himself, rubbed her back in comfort.

" **Now then, please put your full effort behind your investigation! After all, you don't have any choice but to give it your best shot!" Monokuma giggled. "Seriously, you don't have a choice! Okay, so we'll meet up for the class trial….in a little while!" With that, Monokuma disappeared once again, leaving the class stunned and confused.**

Everyone was silent, not knowing what to say at the moment. Everyone conscious is trying to process what had happen. Finally, it was Leon who spoke up. "So, Sayaka died," Leon began. "And one the who killed her is one of us. Monokuma told us we have to find the culprit, or we'll die except for the murderer. And to top it all off, he killed Mukuro to set an example."

"No time to grieve, no choice but to find the culprit and send them to die," Again, tears spilled out of Chihiro's cheek. "This is too cruel."

"Yeah. And the damn bear sounds so damn smug about it." Mondo growled, his head down and eyes closed.

"And none of the routes will lead to a happy ending." Celeste said. "If our future selves fail, then we'll have to see them die. If they succeed, will be forced to see one of us be executed."

"That's true," Kyoko sighed. "But they need to find the culprit. If they don't, then the mastermind will get a quick victory."

Makoto spoke up. "Kyoko's right." Makoto said, sounding a bit strain. "They need to do this. And Sayaka's murder can't go unsolved, so the only thing we can do is hope for the best possible outcome."

"Which is finding the killer, and then getting them killed." Hina gulped, feeling very ill. "I'm not liking this at all."

"How do you think Mukuro and I feel?" Sayaka muttered, scooting closer to Makoto and wrapping her arms around his one arm.

 **Slowly, after a long moment of silence, Makoto moved over to Junko's body and knelt down towards the corpse. He put two fingers on her wrist, checking for a pulse, but didn't receive any. "She….really is dead." Makoto said in dismay.**

"I would be surprise if she was still alive." Byakuya sighed. "Ultimate Soldier she may be, but it's impossible to survive several spears in one's body and the blood loss coming after."

"I'm sure my future self knows that, subconsciously at least." Makoto stated, looking down. "But still-"

"W-W-Wait," Everyone turned to Hiro, who was stunned silent for most of it. The oldest of them look shaken. "J-Just wait a second! S-She's….really dead?! Then that means….everything we've seen so far is real?! This is our future?! Not some kind of prank or anything?!"

"Hell no!" He shouted, holding his head. "Someone get future me outta there! Save him! SOMEBODY HELP!"

' _He's accepting this situation now?!'_ Was the overall thought of everyone conscious in the room. Even Kyoko and Celeste couldn't keep off the look of disbelief at the idiocy being displayed.

Sayaka and Mondo growled, both standing up to punch Hiro right in the face. But Makoto and Chihiro quickly grabbed onto their respective friends, stopping them from doing so. Makoto pulled Sayaka back into their seat and whispered some comforting words while Chihiro gave Mondo a pleading look, settling the angry biker down.

" **I don't know why you even bothered to check." Byakuya remarked. "After those injuries, and losing that much blood….frankly, I'd be shocked if she did survived something like that."**

" **H-Huh? H-Hold on," For the first time in a while, Hiro spoke up. "H-H-Hold o-on! J-J-Just w-wait a second! Sh-She's….dead?! Then that means….that means everything that's happened so far is real?! It's not a joke or whatever?! It's really real?!"**

 **He then started screaming. "Hell no! S-Someone save me! Let me outta here! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"**

" **You're j-just now accepting that?" Toko asked incredulously.**

"At least we can cross Hiro off as a possible murderer." Byakuya sighed. "Considering he'd continue thinking that this whole thing was a joke, I doubt he would've killed Sayaka."

"No argument there." Kyoko sighed. Hiro is definitely crossed off the list.

 **Makoto looked at the others. Suspicion and fear invaded the faces of everyone.** ' _ **We got put in a position that gave us no choice but to be suspicious of one another.'**_ **Makoto thought in agony. When his eyes went to Kyoko's, he was amazed at what he saw.** ' _ **Yet, there isn't even a hint that any of it has gotten to her.'**_

Kyoko smirked to herself from the compliment. While she's sure that she had her own suspicions as well, she was content to know that her iron clad mask hasn't failed her.

" **Now's no time to wallow in your depression." Kyoko stated to everyone. "The worst thing we can do right now is lose all faith in each other. That would lead to the same disastrous result as having total faith in everyone else."**

" **Huh?" Leon said in confusion.**

" **Cooperation is absolutely key at this point." Kyoko told everyone. "Who you decide to trust or not trust is, of course, up to you."**

" **Continuing to think about and talk about the deceased certainly isn't going to help anything." Celeste said coldly.**

 **That angered Hina. "S-Saying stuff like that is just-!"**

" **How many times have I told you?" Celeste interrupted. "Anyone who can't adapt….will die. Death is the only thing awaiting those who are unable or unwilling to adapt. If that happens, you only have yourself to blame."**

"Celeste!" Makoto exclaimed. "You shouldn't say stuff like that!"

"Especially during something like this!" Hina stated, scowling in anger.

Due to years of lying and acting, Celeste didn't wince in guilt. Instead, she only sighed. "I admit, I was more than a bit out of line there. What my future self said was uncalled for."

" **What an awful thing to say!" Hina shouted in anger. "Especially after what's happened!"**

 **Kyoko interrupted the conversation. "Right now, exposing the killer is the most important thing. Because if we don't, we're all going to die here."**

"Way to be an Ice Queen, Kyoko." Leon commented on.

The detective merely sighed. "I need to be. If our future selves don't put their focus on exposing the killer, then they'll all die."

"I know, I know. Still, you can take a page in Makoto's book and put it nicely once in awhile."

" **...She's right." Byakuya stated. "We need to begin our search right away."**

" **Either way, we can't run away from the situation, so we have no choice but to move forward." Sakura conceded.**

" **We just hafta do it, I guess…." Hina sighed in reluctance. "What other choice do we have?"**

" **No way in hell am I letting someone kill me!" Leon stated in anger. "Alright, dammit! Let do this!"**

"Look like they're going to work together to find the killer." Sakura stated.

"Yeah. Like our future selves are saying, we don't really have a choice." Leon said. "And there's no way I'm going to let that bear kill me that easily!"

"Yeah! We'll be living as long as possible!" Hina cheered, though it was less exuberant than it usually is.

 **As everyone encouraged themselves to do this, Makoto started thinking to himself.** ' _ **Yeah, we have to do it. There's no other choice but to.'**_ **The luckster thought.** ' _ **If it's the only way to survive, then that's what we have to do! But more than that, I need to find….I need to know why Sayaka had to die. Why she had to be the one.'**_

 **He thought back to the corpse he saw.** ' _ **I'm terrified of finding out, but if I don't….I know I won't be able to ever accept her death. So there's no other choice for me.'**_

"Makoto," Hina murmured, covering her mouth as tears formed in her eyes. The emotions in his thoughts, the tone….it breaks her heart.

"Such emotion, such passion!" Tears are running down Taka's face. "It shows how much you really care for Sayaka!"

Makoto nodded, looking down. "I have no doubt I would be the same now." The luckster stated. "I would want to find who killed Sayaka, why she had to die. So, while I'm terrified about the outcome, I hope we do see why she had to be the first one."

' _Oh Makoto….'_ Unshed tears stung in Sayaka's eyes before burying her face into his shoulder. Seeing herself dead was bad enough. Seeing how badly it's affecting Makoto, how devastated he is, makes it even worse. While she's happy he cares about her that much, it's horrible seeing him in that much pain.

If only she knew what's in store for them.

Byakuya then spoke up. "Pause the TV." He ordered Spirit. The host raised an eyebrow before shrugging and pausing the TV. "Now, before we start, we better snap Hiro out of it," They turned to the still panicking Hiro. "Wake up Junko," They turned to the unconscious fashionista. "And I suppose check on Toko/Jack." Finally, they turned to the unconscious author.

"...I'll get my sister up." Reluctantly, Mukuro went up to wake Junko.

"I'll help Hiro snap out of it." Hina sighed, getting up from her chair.

"I'll handle Toko." Makoto silently ask Sayaka to let for right now. Reluctantly, she did so, but silently pleaded for Makoto to be careful. He smiled reassuringly before going to Toko.

Slowly, he approached the unconscious girl, like she's a dangerous predator. And considering what's lurking inside of her, it isn't farfetched.

Just as he was about to touch her, Toko suddenly jumped and flipped into the air, startling everyone and causing Makoto to fall on his butt. The girl landed on her feet, her head bowed. And when she lifted it up, it was revealed to be Genocide Jack.

"Hey Big Mac!" Jack, or Jill as she would like to be called, said. "Long time no see!"

Makoto chuckled uneasily. "Hey Jill."

She gave him her usual grinned before looking around with a frown. "Where the hell are we?" She asked. Her gaze then landed on Spirit. "And who the hell is this guy?"

Spirit inclined his head towards her. "Hello Genocide Jack. There's a lot of things that needs to explained. You might want sit down. It's kinda a long story."

"Ooooh, story time! Never done that before!"

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys like this chapter. Next up, will be the investigation, as well as the group pointing fingers at Makoto. By the ways, any ideas on how to structure the investigation? I think I got a fair idea how to, but I would like to hear you guys opinion. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	18. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P10

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I had a bit of trouble with the investigation part of this story. I didn't want it to be too long, but at the same time, I didn't want to just summarize it into a few minutes and lose several important pieces of dialogue, as well as evidence. So, after a couple attempts of writing, I did a bit of both. It's still long enough where I would need to do two parts, but it would've been longer if I put in every detail of the investigation. I hope you guys enjoy the result.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 17: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 10

SLAP

"Ow!" Hiro held the cheek that was slapped. "That hurt, Hina!"

"Good, I snapped you out of it." Hina sighed. "I guessing you remember everything that, happened before freaking out?"

"Y-Yeah," Hiro shivered, remembering the fact that their future selves are trapped in a killing game. "W-What did I miss?"

"Our future selves decided to work together to find the killer amongst us." Hifumi declared beside him. "And Ms. Jill is with us right now."

Speaking of the murderous fiend, Makoto, Kyoko, Spirit, and a reluctant Byakuya explained everything that happened, from being teleported here to where they stopped.

"So, we're all brought here to watch the future of ourselves with us kidnapped and our memories erased?" Jill clarified. "And the little Miss Perfect and the human killing machine are dead, with the first one getting killed by one of us?"

"That basically sums it up." Makoto stated.

Jill hummed in thought, tapping her scissors at her chin. "Well, that sucks." She stated. That received quite a few face faults.

"Yeah. More than sucks." Leon deadpanned, one of the few who face faulted.

"Still, might as well watch the chaos happening!" Then a small blush formed on the tongue lashing killer. "And I'll be right by Master's side while I see it all go down!"

"Someone kill me now." Byakuya muttered.

While that was happening, Mukuro finally managed to get Junko up. "Uh…." Junko let out a groan. "What happened?"

"You fainted when you saw my future self killed." Mukuro told her plainly. "While you were unconscious, Monokuma got back to the subject of the class trials and had us begin the investigations."

Slowly, Junko got up from the couch and back to her seat. Makoto, hearing her up, turned to the fashionista in concern. "Junko, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." Junko said quietly. "It was just….shocking to see that happen to my sister."

"Yeah. No one expected Mukuro to die so soon." Leon added in. "Do you need some time?"

Junko shook her head. "No, I'm good. Let's….just continue watching this." Some of the students nodded and turn their eyes back to the front.

Mukuro looked at her sister, wondering what's Junko thinking right now. Most likely, she's despairing over the fact that she killed her own sister, but at the same time, giggling and convulsing at the despair she's feeling from that. There probably wasn't an ounce of guilt that lingered in Junko, the thought both hurting and angering Mukuro.

" **Before we start searching for Sayaka's killer, we need to decide what to do about securing the crime scene." Kyoko told everyone.**

" **What do you mean?" Makoto asked.**

" **You're thinking of putting someone on guard duty so nobody can disturb the area, aren't you?" Byakuya deduced. "After all, if the culprit decides to destroy the evidence, we're pretty much screwed."**

" **In that case, I don't mind doing it." Mondo volunteered. "I don't like havin' to think, anyway. I'll let you guys figure out who killed the chick."**

" **Okay, then we can let Mondo look after the scene." Hina stated.**

 **Byakuya, however, disagreed. "Well, no," He stated. "We can't just leave him there alone."**

"Huh? Why the hell not?" Mondo questioned.

"Yeah. Bro is one of the strongest here, I'm sure he could handle most of us." Taka stated.

"Tch. Just keep watching." Byakuya said.

" **What? Why the hell not?!" Mondo questioned angrily.**

" **Isn't it obvious?" The heir asked condescendingly. "If you were the culprit, what's the first thing you would do? By volunteering for guard duty, you're in a position to destroy all the evidence you want."**

"Wh-? Are you accusing me Togami?!" Mondo roared.

Byakuya shook his head. "My future self is merely saying that it isn't wise to let anyone guard the crime scene by themselves, no matter who it is. It's a risk we can not take."

"Still, it would be risky volunteering for guard duty and destroying the crime scene." Chihiro said. "That would have the fingers pointed at you."

"Not unless you just rearrange the crime scene the way you want," Celeste added in. "That would be much less risky, and secure your innocence better."

"Yep, yep, yep! Had to rearrange my own crimes several times when I kill an adorable boy." Jill added in.

"Like I said, far too risky to just have one person guard the crime scene." Byakuya said.

" **Wh-?! Fuck you!" Mondo growled.**

 **Sakura sighed. "Fine, then I'll stay there on guard duty as well." She volunteered. "That way there's no problem."**

" **2-player co-op base defense with the two of them," Hifumi murmured loudly. "With their stats, they're totally OP!"**

"Huh?" Hina asked, tilting her head in confusion. Some of the others looked confuse as well.

"He's basically saying since they're so strong, it would be impossible for anyone to tamper with the crime scene." Makoto translated for Hina. The girl made an 'ah' sound and nodded gratefully to Makoto. Being an athlete, she doesn't play video games all that much.

" **Since we won't be able to help investigate, we're putting our faith in the rest of you." Sakura told everyone.**

" **I-I'm still pretty freaked out, but….I'll try." Hina told Sakura.**

 **As the others were talking, Celeste took the time to look through the Monokuma file. "Hmm?" She looked at one part of the file that interested her. "Oh my, this is interesting."**

" **Huh? What's interesting?" Leon asked her.**

That also got the group's attention. "What did she see?" Hiro asked.

"Do you think it's something that's going to help us in the investigation?" Taka asked eagerly.

" **I was looking through the Monokuma file we received." The gambler told everyone. "And I noticed something very obvious, and very unusual."**

" **What are you talking about?" Chihiro asked her.**

" **Go ahead, take a look." She let them view the Monokuma file. "Notice anything interesting about where Sayaka died? She died in Makoto's dorm."**

The entire class immediately recognized the implications that hid behind her words. "Oh shit!" Mondo cursed.

"Are we going to blame Makoto now?!" Hifumi exclaimed in horror.

"You're exaggerating! I'm sure some of us won't automatically blame him!" Hina said, though an unsure expression is on her face. "Right?"

 **Several eyes widened in surprise, with Hina checking the Monokuma file. "Wh-? She's right!"**

" **Then, could it be….?!" Hifumi gasped in horror.**

 **At once, everyone's gaze turn to Makoto. The boy's eyes widen in shock and held his hand out in panic. "H-Hold on a second! You've got it all wrong!" He protested. "F-For just one night, I….I traded rooms with her. I did it because….she was afraid."**

" **Y-You expect us to b-believe that?" Toko asked, suspicious eyes trained on him. "Just tell us the t-truth!"**

"So that's my other self, huh?" Jill casually asked randomly. "Wow, she really does look like a downer. Not a bright and spirited person such as mua!" No one payed attention to what she said, too focus on the screen.

 **Suspicion and fear entered everyone's eyes once again.** ' _ **Y-You think "I" did it?!'**_ **Makoto thought in shock.**

"Everyone thinks I did it?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock.

Sayaka's eyes widen in shock before scowling in anger. "You mean everyone's blaming him?" Sayaka questioned in anger. "Just because I died in his room?"

Several flinched and looked away from her at that. None of them like the fact they're blaming Makoto for Sayaka's murder, and some were angry with their future selves for thinking that. "Well, Makoto's room was where the crime happened…." Hiro trying to defend himself and the others.

But Sayaka isn't accepting that. "And he would leave obvious evidence like that in his room?" Sayaka retorted. "Plus, our future selves saw his reaction! There's no way someone could fake that!" She then turned to the detective. "And Kyoko, you, of all people, should know that there are such things circumstantial crime scenes!"

Kyoko turned her eyes away from Sayaka's furious scowl. "I'm sure my future self will find evidence that shows that Makoto is innocent."

"She better." Sayaka remarked, the scowl still on her face.

 **Kyoko spoke up. "Let's stop talking, for now." She stated. "We need to begin our investigation soon. At this point, we should all split up. We need to get to the bottom of this and find out who killed Sayaka. We'll have to collect clues to form a foundation, then construct an argument to come to a final decision. If we get this wrong….well, do I really have to say any more?"**

" **I'd rather you didn't, no," Hifumi moaned.**

"And there's a good chance they'll get it wrong." Mukuro stated, a scowl etched onto her face. She's also angry at the fact that everyone was so quick to accuse Makoto.

 **Kyoko turned to the exit. "Everyone pray for good luck." With that, she hurried out of the gym.**

" **I'll be going, too." Byakuya was the next to go out of the gym.**

" **Oh yeah, I'm on guard duty, huh?" Mondo remembered. "I'd better head to the scene of the crime!"**

" **Ah, that's right." Sakura agreed.**

 **The biker turned to the others. "Lemme just say this right now!" He announced to them. "If whatever son of a bitch did this is here right now, and they're thinking of destroying that evidence," He cracked his knuckles. "They better not let me find 'em! I'll skip the trial and cave their goddamn skull in myself! I'm serious! I will fuck them up!"**

"I pity the bastard who tries to go past them." Leon muttered. A few others couldn't help but nod in agreement to that.

 **With those deadly words in the air, he and Sakura went to guard the crime scene, leaving the rest here. "But," Hina spoke up. "I mean, we're not detectives or anything, y'know? And we're gonna investigate a murder? How do we even do something like that?"**

" **We don't r-really have to do anything in p-particular." Toko remarked. "W-We already know who k-killed Sayaka."**

" **What are you implying?" Makoto questioned.**

" **It was y-you." Toko accused.**

" **I'm telling you, it wasn't me!"**

 **When Makoto stepped forward towards her, Toko began freaking out. "D-Don't come any c-closer! Are you g-gonna kill me next?!"**

"Wow, my other self is such an idiot." Jill casually said. "Accusing someone just because the crime was in the area they're usually in? That's like saying a italian sauce is from another restaurant that has a similar tasting one. All circumstantial!"

"She's still comparing murder to cooking?" Leon asked, looking green in the face.

" **W-Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot." Hina hesitantly said. "It's not for sure that Makoto's guilty yet."**

" **That's true." Hifumi agreed. "We may as well at least check just to check."**

"They're acting like it's already decided that Makoto is guilty!" Sayaka stated angrily.

"While I admit, I'm peeved at our future selves' idiocy but it shouldn't be surprising." Byakuya sighed. "The fear and suspicion would cause them to point fingers at the first target."

"Do you include yourself in that Byakuya?" Celeste asked 'innocently'. Byakuya huffed and turned away, not willing to answer that.

" **Even if I w-wanted to, I c-couldn't help inv-vestigate." Toko stated.**

 **That got Leon's attention. "Wait, why not?"**

" **I'm not g-good with….b-blood." Toko said nervously. "All it takes is o-one glimpse and I b-black out."**

"That'll cross Toko off the list of suspects." Makoto said. "Someone with a fear of blood wouldn't kill somebody."

"Or at the very least, wouldn't use something that could make wounds to do it." Kyoko added in. "And Genocide Jill would only kill guys she deems cute, not girls."

"Damn right!" Jill agreed. "I would sooner kill Master before killing the idol."

"Like I would let you." Byakuya muttered. The day he let those scissors get near him is the day he give away his entire fortune willingly.

" **Well, whatever. I don't think anyone was expecting much from you, anyway." Leon said dismissively. "Alright, I guess I better get going."**

 **With that statement, he, along with most of the others still in the room, started leaving. "W-Wait, don't go yet!" Makoto protested. "You have to hear me out!"**

 **Despite his words, they continued leaving, with their parting look towards him still filled with suspicion. Makoto stood there in the gym, with only a few others still inside.** ' _ **Does everyone really think I'm the killer?'**_ **Makoto thought in dismay.** ' _ **How did it turn out like this?'**_

"That's what we're wondering." Chihiro said softly, upset at the fact that most of them are accusing Makoto.

"It really does suck." Junko fake pouted. "And they're accusing him just because Sayaka was killed in his room." Inwardly though, she's giddy at the fact that most of her classmates are set on Makoto being the killer. If they continue on that mindset, then execution for all of them! It would be so despairingly wonderful!

"I hate the fact we turned on a comrade based on a coincidence!" Taka stated, looking down. "And it makes me wonder if we would do the same, to anybody we don't know well. Just turn on them when they get bad spot-light." Mondo put a hand on his friend's shoulder in comfort.

"I'm afraid we all owe you an apology Makoto. Especially with future vocal accusations." Sakura said quietly.

Makoto waved off the apology. "This is our future selves, right? We can't control what they say." Makoto said reassuringly. "Besides, everyone is scared and Monokuma put us in a situation where we have to suspect each other. Plus, with the evidence, it makes sense for everyone to suspect me."

His words caused a few others to sigh. He's way too forgiving.

 **He shook his head.** ' _ **Seriously, they got it all wrong,'**_ **He thought anxiously. "Why do they have to suspect me?!" The luckster questioned, the anxiety in his voice. Once again, he went back to his thoughts.** ' _ **I have to do something. Otherwise, everyone will….'**_

 **Makoto gulped, remembering Monokuma's words.** ' _ **I can't let that happen,'**_ **He thought in determination.** ' _ **I can't let things turn out the way Monokuma wants!'**_

None of them were surprised by his thoughts. By now, they all knew that Makoto is a very selfless person, who would help out anyone. "Seriously dude, you're getting accused of killing someone you cared about and you're still thinking of saving them?" Leon sighed.

"Of course. I can't let them die because of a false accusation." Makoto said fiercely.

"And you're not even worried about your own life?" Hina asked him.

"Well, of course I worry about my own life." Makoto admitted. "But I want to save everyone else as well."

Sayaka smiled. "That's our Makoto. Always thinking about others before himself."

' _ **All I have to do is find out who really did it….who really killed Sayaka!'**_ **He grabbed the Monokuma File on the floor and began reading through it. "The victim was Sayaka Maizono. The time of death is estimated to be around 1:30 a.m." He began reading aloud. "The body was discovered in Makoto's dorm, in the dormitory. All evidence suggests that the death took place in the bathroom. The cause of death was a stab wound to the abdomen. There was also an injury to her right wrist. Specifically, the wrist appears to have suffered a fracture."**

"Wow. That thing has a lot of info." Hiro commented on.

"Yeah. That should help with the investigation to Sayaka's murder." Kyoko hummed. "Not that I really need it."

"Yeah, yeah." Leon said with an eye roll. "So, are we going to try and figure out which one of us killed Sayaka?"

"I don't see why not. No harm will be done doing that." Kyoko said with a shrug.

"So, trying to figure out the killer of Sayaka Maizono." Celeste mused. "It would be more fun if not for the fact that this is our possible reality."

"If any of you did think it was fun, I would've slapped you." Sayaka muttered.

' _ **We have no choice but to push forward if we want to find out what happened,'**_ " **Somehow, I have to find the truth." The luckster said aloud.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto walking to his room. "So that we can all survive." Makoto's voice spoke through the scene. The luckster went into his room. "And for Sayaka….I have to find out how she was killed!"**

' _ **Alright. I'll look into the state of my room first,'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **If I look again, maybe I'll find some clues here.'**_

" **So, I started the investigation in the room." The narrator Makoto began summarizing. The scene showed Makoto looking at around the room. "The first thing I noticed that there was an obvious struggle, due to the scratches and gouges around."**

Makoto looked down. "Damnit. Sayaka's room was right next to mine. If I had only heard her…."

"That wouldn't have been possible Makoto." Sakura said softly. "The rooms were soundproofed, remember?"

"No matter how loud someone could be in that room, no one would here with the doors closed." Byakuya stated.

"For our soundproofed rooms to be used in such a dastardly way!" Taka exclaimed, tears stinging in his eyes. "It brings me to tears just thinking about it!"

 **The scene switched to Makoto looking at sword and sheathe on the ground. "Then I noticed the gold coated sword on the ground, missing some of coating, and it's sheathe, which has some scratches."**

"It's obvious that someone used the sword during the struggle." Mukuro mused. "Especially since the handle is missing the most of its coating."

"But what about the sheathe? Why the hell does it have those cuts?" Mondo pointed out. Mukuro shrugged.

"Unless we figure out at least some of the situation, it would hard to guess." Is what Mukuro said.

 **Makoto's eyes diverted to the key on the floor.** ' _ **Oh yeah. Sayaka and I switched keys before going room.'**_ **A thought came to mind.** ' _ **Then how did the killer get into the room in the first place? I doubt Sayaka would go out of the room, or open the door for anyone.'**_

"Oh yeah. Now that Makoto mentioned it, how did the killer enter the room?" Hina asked. The others wonder that as well.

' _The only way that would be possible is if Sayaka let them in.'_ Kyoko thought. ' _There's no other way.'_ She decided to keep that to herself though. She'll bring it up in the trial, if none of their future selves' do. "We'll find out later when the trials start, so lets not worry about it for right now." Kyoko spoke up.

Several nodded to that and went back to the screen. Sayaka, meanwhile, had the thought still plaguing her mind. Like Kyoko, she deduced that the only way for the killer to come in is if she herself let them in. But why would she do that?

A bad feeling began gnawing into her stomach.

" **Next I spoke to Kyoko, who was investigating the room herself." The scene then switched Makoto and Kyoko, the latter on her knees and looking at the ground. "I found out from her that there wasn't a single ounce of hair in the room, not even mine. The lint roller was used as well, which means that someone got rid of the hair."**

"Someone got rid of some hair?" Mondo questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Why the hell did they do that?"

"To eliminate any trace that they were here." Kyoko answered. "I have to admit, that's clever."

"With the variety of hair colors in this classroom, it would have been pretty easy to find out who the killer was!" Jill agreed.

"Good point there." Taka agreed. "Though there are some of us who share the same hair color, such as Byakuya and Junko."

" **And finally, I went into the bathroom, where Sayaka's body resided in." The scene switched to Makoto, standing in front of the bathroom.** ' _ **The bathroom,'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **And on the other side of the door….'**_ **A brief black and white flashback of Sayaka's body entered in his mind.**

Sayaka stiffened at this. She didn't want to see this. She didn't want to see her dead body once again. Makoto, feeling her stiffen, squeezed her hand, silently saying that he's here for her. It calmed her slightly.

 **He felt himself freeze for a moment before shaking his head.** ' _ **No….I can't let it get to me!'**_ **Makoto exclaimed in his head.** ' _ **I can't afford to freeze up now!'**_ **Pushing down his panic, he pushed himself into the bathroom. And immediately, he was faced with the dead Sayaka. "Sayaka…."**

Sayaka saw a small glimpse of her body before quickly burying her head into Makoto's chest once more. Makoto, in response, hugged her back and stroke her hair comfortingly, trying to keep his own tears at bay at seeing Sayaka's dead body.

The others felt sick at seeing Sayaka's dead body. Mukuro and Kyoko, however, felt less sick due to the professions they're in, but like everyone else, they felt their heart clench at Makoto's tone of grief.

 **Dizziness, nausea, and the urge to burst into tears hit him instantly.** ' _ **No.'**_ **Makoto squeezed his eyes tightly.** ' _ **I can't….I can't hesitate now.'**_ **When he opened his eyes, determination was brought back up in his eyes.** ' _ **I have to find out. I have to find out what happened, why she the one who had to die!'**_

Makoto couldn't help but feel amazed at his future self. He couldn't imagine what his future self is feeling, seeing Sayaka's corpse right in front of him and the smell of blood assaulting his senses.

He wasn't the only one. "Wow. Future Makoto is keeping himself together." Hina said in awe. "I would've puked if I was right in front of this."

"It's impressive how well he's keeping himself together." Kyoko agreed. Others nodded in agreement to this as well.

" **So, I examined her body and saw a couple of things." The narrator Makoto spoke again. "One, was the gold coating on her broken wrist. Next was the blood on her finger. And finally, was the numbers on the walls behind Sayaka."**

"What the-? Numbers?" Leon, along with several others, looked at the numbers behind Sayaka. "11037."

"What the heck does those mean?" Mondo turned to Chihiro. "Hey Chihiro, do you know?"

Chihiro shook her head. "No. From what I can tell, those numbers don't hold any special meanings."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the numbers. Something tells her that those numbers will give them the answers, but the scene switched before she could get a better look. She'll have to think on it later, when they see it again.

" **Wh-?!" Makoto nearly cried out in shock before covering his mouth.** ' _ **11037? Did Sayaka write this?'**_

 **After looking at for another moment, Makoto decided to leave the bathroom. And when he did, he was met face to face with Kyoko. "It looks like you found it, right Makoto?" Kyoko asked him. "The bloody numbers….that's most likely Sayaka's dying message."**

"Dying message?" Leon asked, confused. "But what could they mean? Is it morse code or something like that?"

"I don't even know morse code." Sayaka stated, getting out of Makoto's hold. Though the two are still holding hands. "It can't be that."

"Well, the message must have some type of meaning." Taka stated. "Otherwise, writing it would've been a waste."

"I'm sure there's a reason behind it." Kyoko stated. If only she had more time to look at it.

" **I've never seen something written in blood before," Makoto commented on softly. "It really was her final message. It's as if she wrote it with life itself."**

" **...Do you often talk like an aspiring poet?"**

Makoto blushed while a few of his friends snickered. "Now that she mentioned it, there were times where you did spoke like that." Hina giggled.

"Though it wasn't often." Celeste add in.

" **But the numbers she wrote….what do they mean?" Makoto asked. "11037….I have no idea what that could possibly mean."**

" **The way she wrote the numbers makes me think that she wanted to use the body to block them." Kyoko said in thought. "If she wrote them in that location, while she was sitting the way we found her, it means she must have wrote them by turning only her hand toward the wall. If you were to write something in that position, do you know what the result would be?"**

Kyoko took in everything her other's is saying. And combined that with the brief glimpse of the dying message. ' _Writing with only her hand turned to the wall….if you do that, it would be backwards….which would mean….'_

Kyoko's eyes widen very slightly, realizing what the dying message was. ' _L-E-O-N. Leon.'_ Sayaka was writing her's killer name. And Leon is the killer.

She decided to keep that to herself for now. Who knew what kind of chaos would spread.

The detective wasn't the only one who found out. Junko also manage to put that piece of the puzzle together. ' _So, Leon was the one who kill poor Sayaka, huh? First Sayaka, then Mukuro, now Leon. Two of Makoto's closest friend, and his best male friend. This will be so despairing for him!'_

" **The results….?"**

" **Think about it."**

" **You're not gonna tell me?"**

" **You need to uncover the mystery of this case yourself," Kyoko told him. "Otherwise, the case will end and you'll remain unconvinced."**

"Wait, so future Kyoko got something?" Mondo asked.

"Seems like it." Byakuya confirmed. "But it seems that she's going to keep it to herself for now, and to make Makoto to figure it out himself."

"Huh? But why?" Hina asked in confusion. "Why does he need to figure it out himself?"

"I'm sure my future self has her reasons." Kyoko stated. Really, she doesn't have enough concrete detail to confirm what she suspects. So she'll keep her theories to herself for now.

' _ **It sounds like Kyoko knows Sayaka's dying message means.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **But honestly, I don't have a clue….oh, I know who to talk to. When it comes to numbers, who better to ask than the Ultimate Programmer?'**_

Chihiro shook her head. "If I don't see any meaning in those numbers, then my future self won't." Tears stung her eyes. "I'm sorry for not being helpful."

"No, it's okay Chihiro." Makoto reassured the programmer. "You did the best you could, and I'm sure your future self will do her best."

 **The narrator Makoto spoke up again. "Kyoko and I then exchanged some information. I told her about the faulty door when she asked about it being broken, then she told me about the broken doorknob." The scene showed the doorknob barely holding on to the door.**

"A broken doorknob?" Hina said in confusion. "Why is the door knob broken?"

"Someone tried to force their way into the bathroom?" Hifumi inquired. "But the bathroom door didn't even have a lock. Why did they need to do that?"

"Cause they didn't know that the door was faulty. So when they tried to open it, they couldn't." Sakura said, frowning in thought. "So they thought they needed to get in there by force, not knowing that their actions were completely unnecessary."

A thought entered Sayaka's mind. "Wait. This is evidence that can be used to prove that Makoto is innocent." Sayaka stated. "After all, why would he break into his own bathroom, knowing about the faulty door?"

The others thought about her words. "She has a point." A smile entered Chihiro's lip. "Yep. This could prove Makoto's innocence."

"Alright! Progress!" Leon whooped, pumping a fist. Kyoko and Junko wondered how fast that excitement would go when it's discovered that he's the culprit.

" **After that, I left the room and continued my investigation." The scene switched to Makoto walking to the direction out of the dorm rooms. He stopped when Byakuya spoke up. "So, why was Sayaka in your room when she was killed?"**

 **Makoto turned to the heir at that question. "Could it be because….you are the culprit?"**

Sayaka let out a small growled. Seeing her death, Hiro's idiocy, and the knowledge that it was one of her classmates that killed her is making her mood bad enough. The fact that almost everyone accused Makoto, of all people, of killing her is getting her angry.

" **N-No, you've got it all wrong." Makoto denied. "Sayaka and I….switched rooms last night."**

 **Byakuya looked at him with plain suspicion in his eyes.** ' _ **He doesn't even try to hide the suspicion on his face.'**_ **Makoto deadpanned in his mind.**

 **Finally, Byakuya spoke once again. "Even if what you say is the absolute truth," He began. "You're still responsible for her death, wouldn't you say?"**

Several stood up straighter at this. Confusion was written on some faces while Sayaka's face darken. " _What?"_ She hissed quietly.

" **Huh?"**

" **After all, she wouldn't have died if she hadn't switched rooms with you, right?" Byakuya asked rhetorically.**

 **Makoto make a choking noise at that, shock at that accusation.** ' _ **The reason Sayaka was killed….was because I agreed to switch rooms?'**_

Several eyes widened in shock at the point Byakuya made. Byakuya himself wasn't surprised by this, but internally winced. He had to admit, in the past, he was more callous to his classmates than needed. He mellowed out thanks to his time at Hope's Peak, with the help of Makoto mostly, so seeing his future self saying that….made a sliver of guilt enter his heart.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes in anger at the accusation made, as did Mukuro and Celeste. Hina eyes widen for a moment before scowling in anger. Sayaka, however, took it the worst out of the girls.

"You bastard!" Sayaka roared. She launched herself at Byakuya, but Makoto and Leon quickly grabbed her by the arms once again all the while Byakuya just pushed up his glasses and kept facing forward. "How dare you blame Makoto for my death?! How DARE YOU?!" Said heir remained quiet in his seat.

"Sayaka, calm down!" Leon exclaimed, keeping a good hold on her. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but it was the future Byakuya that said it!"

"Yes! We can't blame Byakuya for this! So please calm down Sayaka!" Makoto pleaded. Sayaka stopped for a moment before taking a deep breath, calming her anger. Slowly, she sat back down, along with Leon and Makoto.

"Sayaka got really angry." Chihiro said softly.

"Can you blame her? Togami tried to push the blame on Makoto." Mondo grumbled. "I would've lost my temper myself if Sayaka hadn't."

' _ **She's dead because of me?'**_ **Guilt and grief entered his mind.** ' _ **Then….it should have been me that died?'**_

"No!" Sayaka shook her head. "No, it shouldn't have been you that died!"

"But Sayaka, Byakuya made have had a-"

He stopped speaking when Sayaka gave him a stern glare. "Don't. You. Say it. Don't you dare say that Byakuya may be right. It was my future self's suggestion to switch rooms, not yours."

"She's right Makoto." Kyoko said softly, but firmly. "You had no idea this outcome would have happened."

Byakuya spoke up. "I admit, my future self was out of place when saying that." The heir said. "You had no control of the situation Makoto. Do remember that."

"Byakuya's right! So don't blame yourself for this Makoto!" Hina added in.

Makoto looked at all of his friends before giving a smile and nodded.

" **Well, all we can say right now is that it's a possibility." Byakuya told him.**

 **Makoto, still shaken up, walked away from the dorm rooms. Narrator Makoto spoke up once again. "It would be on my mind for a while. But after the investigation in my room, I decided to go to the dining hall. I suspected that the knife used was one of the kitchen knives and decided to go to the kitchen to check."**

"A good assumption." Kyoko agreed. "Most likely it is."

"No argument from the crowd." Junko stated.

 **The scene switched to Makoto entering the dining hall. When he did, he saw Hina sitting at one of the tables. "Hina….are you investigating the dining hall?"**

" **Oh, no." Hina shook her head. "I'm just taking a break. Actually, I've been taking a break since we started."**

"Seriously?" Jill cocked her head. "Are you secretly blonde or something? Cause you act like a dumb blonde bimbo!"

"Hey!" Hina and Junko shouted, for obvious reasons.

"Well, you can't blame her." Makoto said. "Most of us don't really know what to do in a investigation."

"You look to be doing pretty well though." Kyoko noted. That got a slight blush from the luckster.

" **This is all a first for me, ya know?" Hina sighed. "I don't have the first clue what I should be doing."**

" **Yeah, I know what you mean." Makoto agreed with her.**

" **And I dunno why, but being in the dining hall helps me calm." Hina continued explaining. "So I know I shouldn't, but I've been kinda….hanging around here."**

Hina pouted a little. "Aww. And seeing this happening is kinda cool. I wish I wasn't just standing around when Kyoko and Makoto are actually doing something."

"I'm pretty sure you aren't the only one doing that." Byakuya stated. "Toko, for one, is probably still in the gym or in her room. You're not the only one being useless."

"I'm not sure how to take that." Hina admitted.

" **To tell you the truth….I was doing the same thing last night, when Sayaka was killed…."**

"You always seem to hang out at the dining hall whenever you're stressed." Celeste mused. "Guess that hasn't changed, even with your memories wiped."

"Must be because our subconscious still remembers how we feel about certain things and areas." Chihiro suggested.

 **After that, Makoto went to the kitchen to see if his suspicion is correct. Sure enough, one of the knives on the wall is missing.** ' _ **So the knife that was used was one of the kitchen knives.'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **Or was it missing before this whole thing? Well, Hina was here last night. Maybe she knows.'**_

 **He went out of the kitchen and back to Hina. "Hey, so," Makoto spoke up, getting the girl's attention. "Did you notice that one of the kitchen knives is missing in the kitchen?"**

" **Yeah, weird huh?" Hina confirmed. "I thought it was kinda strange, a knife just disappearing like that."**

" **Oh, so it wasn't missing from the beginning?"**

 **Hina shook her head. "Nope. Last I remember, they were all lined up in a nice, neat row."**

" **So when did you notice one of them had disappeared?" Makoto inquired.**

" **Well," Hina began explaining. "I went to go get some tea from the kitchen last night, and all the knives were still there. But when I finished my tea and went back into the kitchen to wash my glass, one of the knives were gone."**

 **Makoto's eyes widen slightly at this. "So you're saying that the knife disappeared while you were drinking your tea in the dining hall?"**

 **Hina nodded. "Yeah…."**

Several's eyes widen before a smile formed on Chihiro's face. "This could prove that Makoto is innocent."

"Definitely! Since Hina was there, she can give Makoto a good alibi!" Taka stated.

Hina beamed widely. "I can actually be useful in the trial now!"

"That you can, Hina." Sakura agreed, smiling.

' _ **In other words, you were right there in the dining hall when someone came and took it.'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **Then you should be able to say for sure….you can tell everyone I didn't come to the dining hall last night. Which proves I didn't take it!'**_

Makoto beamed at this. "With that, my future self can prove his innocence."

"Don't go celebrating yet." Byakuya cut in. "Remember, they still need to find the real culprit."

"And not many clues were found." Sakura sighed. "Not one that can pinpoint the possible killer."

' _I wouldn't say that.'_ Kyoko thought to herself.

" **Hey, by the way," Hina spoke up, gaining Makoto's attention. "Did you really kill Sayaka?"**

"Hina!"

"You idiot!"

"Oh come on!"

"You dumb bimbo!"

Hina winced. "Sorry." She apologized. The four comments came from Sayaka, Byakuya, Leon, and Jill, respectively.

"It's alright Hina." Makoto said reassuringly. "You're not the only one to think that."

"And I'm not happy about that." Sayaka muttered angrily. Sweet little Makoto doesn't deserve those accusations.

" **Wh-What?!" Makoto exclaimed. "Of course not! I would never!" Hina stayed silent, doubt in her face. "Hina….do you really think I murdered her?"**

" **Well," Hina fumbled for an explanation. "She was killed in your room, right? So, I mean….you guys were supposed to be friends, right? But you still….killed her….on the other hand, two people becoming good friends, then one killing the other is a classic drama setup. So when you consider everything together…."**

" **...I honestly have no idea." Hina looked down, utterly confused and depressed. Makoto was silent for a moment before shaking his head and leaving the dining hall.**

"Um, did anyone else understand any of that?" Hiro asked.

"I don't think anyone understood that jumbled up mess of an explanation." Byakuya sighed. "Not even the girl herself."

"You got me there." Hina admitted, rubbing the back of her head.

"So, there's the cuts and gouges in the room, and the gold coated sword." Kyoko began listing off. "There's the bit of gold on her broken wrist, as well as the bloody finger. There's also the dying message, as well as the broken doorknob."

"There's also the missing knives, as well as Aoi's statement." Mukuro added in, albeit quietly. "That's all the evidence found so far."

"Well, it seems like there's still more of this investigation to go through, so maybe there's something else that would tell us who the killer is." Taka stated.

"So let's continue watching, and see what else we'll uncover." Byakuya stated.

 **And that's the end. So, unfortunately, the investigation will have to be in two parts. I would've liked to make it shorter to get to the trials, but I didn't want to rush it. Don't want the investigations half-baked like in the anime. Plus, there were some sets of dialogue I felt like were important, not only to the investigation itself, but also for the characters' development. So I didn't want to skip that. I hope you guys understand I what I mean by that.**

 **So, next chapter will be continuing and finishing up the investigation. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **Editor: Hey guys, we've noticed there's some questions in the reviews that you guys have asked and if it's related to this fic, we'll answer the ones that we can.**

 **How come Mukuro isn't like the Mukuro in DR3: Despair Arc?**

 **Spirit: I based Mukuro off of what I read in the wiki page, the plot of DR:IF, and an analysis I saw about her on youtube.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Pretty much same as spirit. Since she doesn't have a whole lot of dialogue and characterization in the game and anime (to which I still think that her portrayal in DR3 was absolute garbage), I like to refer to DR:IF, DR:Zero and her in-game lines to build her character.**

 **Will you make the despair fever from DR:Togami canon? And if so, will you cure Junko of it?**

 **Spirit: I don't plan to make DR:Togami canon in the fic.**


	19. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P11

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapters. I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. Hopefully, this one will go well with the last one. And after this chapter, will be the start of the class trial. So, I hope you enjoy the second part of the group watching the investigation.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 18: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 11

" **The next place I went to is the trash room, which Celeste suggested me to look at when I spoke to her." The narrator Makoto spoke. The scene showed Makoto walking into the trash room.**

"A good place to look into." Celeste commented on. "If I were the killer, I would get rid of any evidence that can be thrown away." Then she looked down. "Though it's too bad my future self can't join Makoto in his search."

"Why can't she?" Mondo asked her.

Her answer stumped everyone. "That place is filthy." She stated. "And I do not want to get my dress dirty going in there."

"...Typical Celeste." Byakuya deadpanned. The others couldn't help but agree with him.

' _ **Here's the trash room.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **But there's a sturdy gate here. No way to get past….'**_

 **Suddenly, Monokuma appeared in front of him. "It's the end of the line."**

" **So this is where all the trash ends up at." Makoto commented on. "How do you get this open?"**

" **No, no, no! No entry beyond this point!" Monokuma announced. "Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"**

" **Cleaning duty….?"**

" **No, no, no! No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"**

"Alright, I'm sure he got it the first time." Leon groaned.

" **Who's the person on cleaning duty?" Makoto asked him, trying not to get irritated.**

 **He was met with the same phrase. "No, no, no! No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"**

Celeste huffed in frustration. "It will be a waste of time asking him."

"I'm pretty sure he is going to realize that." Byakuya stated.

 **Makoto groaned in annoyance.** ' _ **This is stupid. It'd be fast just going around and asking the others.'**_

" **No, no, no! No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"**

"Will he just shut the fuck up?!" Mondo shouted in anger.

"I'm not sure if that Monokuma is automatic, or just repeating it to touch our nerves." Taka stated.

"Probably both." Hifumi said.

 **The scene switched to Makoto walking in the hallway of the dorm rooms, where Leon, Byakuya, and Hifumi are at. "Hey Hifumi," Makoto spoke up, getting the fanfic creator's attention. "Do you know who's on cleaning duty?"**

" **Cleaning duty? As a matter of fact, that's me. Why do you ask?" Hifumi questioned. "It just so happens Monokuma talked to me yesterday and asked me to care of it. Without someone on cleaning duty, the school would be flooded with trash in no time. So I formally applied for the position!"**

Celeste shuddered at that thought. "The thought of being in such filth disturbs me."

"But why do we need something like trash duty in the first place?" Sakura questioned. "Why not just let us throw away the trash any time we want?"

Byakuya furrowed his eyebrows. "Most likely so that the blackened can't easily eliminate evidence. If everyone had access to the trash room, the killer can get rid of anything that could get them exposed."

"It seems like Monokuma is making these investigations as fair as possible." Kyoko mused. "That's….somewhat good."

" **I was gonna start this morning, but after what happened, I haven't had a chance to get started yet." Hifumi told him.**

" **And since you're on cleaning duty….can you open the gate in front of the trash room?" Makoto inquired.**

" **Of course!" Hifumi confirmed. "It's my job to gather up all the garbage and toss it in the trash room. And to do that, they gave me the key to the trash room gate!"**

Leon narrowed his eyes at Hifumi. "Why did your future self volunteer for trash duty?" Leon questioned. "Do you want to dig into the girls' trash and….do stuff?"

"I told you before! My interest is strictly in 2D!"

"And I'm still calling bs on that, especially during the time you let Celeste boss you around a lot."

"I was not max leveled at that time! I am now!"

Makoto sighed. Every time Leon suspected Hifumi of doing something perverted, they always go on like this. "Hey Leon, just drop it for now and continue watching this." Makoto told his best friend. The baseball player huffed, but nodded regardless.

" **But we're supposed to rotate once a week, so eventually you'll be in charge."**

" **That does seem more convenient." Makoto agreed.**

" **Actually…." After some thinking, Byakuya smirked. "That must be why. If anyone could go in and out the trash room whenever they wanted, then destroying the evidence would be easy."**

"It seems like future Byakuya got to the same conclusion." Junko commented on.

"Well, my future self is as brilliant as me." Byakuya drawled, causing some eyes to roll.

" **The thrill would disappear, and things would become boring."**

"Wait, wait, wait, back up!" Leon exclaimed, holding his hands out. "Arrogant heir said what?"

"Th-Thrill? Boring?" Chihiro questioned in shock.

The others were shocked at what future Byakuya said, especially the heir himself. The Ultimate Affluent Progeny didn't expect himself to say something like that.

Sayaka turned to Byakuya and sent a deadly glare at him. "You think this sick game is thrilling? Even when I DIED?!"

"I don't." Byakuya refuted, crossing his arms. "I don't know why my future self seems to think so." This sick game and the death of his classmates….he didn't find enjoyment in this game.

" **B-Boring?!"**

" **Anyway, more important than that," Leon turned to Hifumi accusingly. "Hey fatty! Why'd you want the cleaning gig, anyway?!"**

" **I-I just decided to volunteer for something I knew no one else would wanna do." Hifumi answered, a bit startled at Leon's questioning. "What's the big deal?!"**

" **Liar! I know why you did it." Leon proclaimed. "You wanna dig through the girls' trash! Looking for….y'know….and poking around at it!"**

Hina tilted her head in confusion. "I don't get it. Looking for what?"

"It's probably best if you don't know Hina." Sakura sighed. She turned to Hifumi sharply. "And I hope Leon's accusation is wrong, Hifumi. For your sake."

Hifumi gulped at that. He kinda hope so too.

" **What are you talking about?!" Hifumi exclaimed. "All my love is for 2D!"**

" **But there's all kinds of trash diggers like that! Maybe you'll get tired of 2D, and then turn to-"**

" **I would NEVER get tired of 2D!" Hifumi declared loudly. "After spending a significant amount of time comparing 2D and 3D, I voluntarily chose 2D! The only thing 3D is good for is to shower love and affection on 2D!...Oh, and PVC figures!"**

Once again, everyone sent a disturbed look towards Hifumi and a few more scooted away from him as well. "Do you not hear yourself when speaking like that?" Byakuya questioned, clearly disgusted. "Or aware of how you look when talking about your hobby?"

Hifumi looked away from the screen and his classmates. "Um, no. Not really."

"Like I said before. Self control." Leon stated.

 **"How are you not totally embarrassed to say stuff like that?!" Leon cried with a disturbed face.**

 **Byakuya sighed. "If you're so worried, about Hifumi's questionable morality, there's a very easy solution." The heir told hm. "Whenever a guy has cleaning duty, Sakura can accompany them, from picking up trash to disposing of it."**

"Huh?!"

"Wow. That's actually a good idea Byakuya!" Hina stated. "No guy would dare dig through the trash with Sakura around!"

"That's my master! Always so smart!" Jill sighed dreamily, drooling.

Byakuya sent a disgusted look at Jill before turning to Hifumi. "And if you're so devoted to your 2D like you say you are, then it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Um, well, no. It shouldn't." Hifumi said, though a bit nervous.

" **Whaaat?!"**

 **Byakuya turned to Hifumi. "If you're as innocent as you claim, where's the harm in it?"**

" **Kh-! That's not how it's supposed to-!"**

All of the girls turned sharply towards Hifumi, each with their own look that can kill a man.

"Were you actually planning to dig through our trash?" Sayaka asked.

Jill giggled. "He'd better come up with a good answer!"

"Or else he's a dead man!" Junko agreed.

"I-It was future's me plans! His plans!" Hifumi quickly said as he shrunk in his seat.

"And for that, your life will be spared for now." Sakura declared "But we better not see anything else like it." Hifumi gulped.

" **Anyway, on another topic," Makoto spoke up, trying to get back to what he wanted to ask. "Hifumi, since you were on cleaning duty, I have a favor to ask you.**

" **What, so now you suddenly want to join my party?" Hifumi questioned. "Sorry but you haven't triggered that flag yet. I mean, you haven't helped me recover from a past trauma, or save a village, or beat a boss….."**

Leon turned to Makoto, Sayaka, and Kyoko. "Do you guys ever wonder what going inside that head of his?"

"He just plays way too many videogames." Kyoko deadpanned.

"Specifically RPG and MMO ones." Makoto added in.

" **No, nothing like that," Makoto stated. "I was just hoping to get into the trash room and look around."**

" **Oh, okay!"**

' ** _That was_** _ **easy...'**_

"Seriously? Just like that?" Leon questioned in a bit of disbelief. "Even if no one accused Makoto of being the killer, you would agree so easily?"

"Um, well," Hifumi don't really have a good answer to that.

 **The scene switched to Makoto and Hifumi at the gate of the the trash room. "You'd like me to open the gate, wouldn't you?" Hifumi asked rhetorically. He then let out a small laugh. "You know, when I look at it, it makes me think….they said he killed his wife. He learned how to get by on the inside, but never stopped dreaming. Get busy livin' or busy dyin', he said. So him and Rita, they found themselves a way out…."**

Question marks appeared on several heads. "Does anyone, other than Hifumi, ever knows what he's talking about?" Leon asked them. "Cause I sure as hell don't!"

"This is worse than Hina's malarkey." Byakuya mumbled to himself.

Hifumi let out a small laugh. "That's because your feeble mind can't comprehend what I'm saying!"

"It sounds like you're saying just random stuff." Hiro said, scratching his head in confusion.

" **...Whatever, just please hurry up!" Makoto pleaded.**

" **Okie dokie!" Hifumi said in response. "Leave it to me!" Hifumi pulled out the key and used it to flip the switch next to the gate. Soon enough, the gates open.**

 **As the two walked further into the trash room, Hifumi spoke up. "However, Mr. Naegi," He pointed an accusing finger at Makoto. "Surely you aren't planning to use the trash room to destroy evidence, are you?! Y-You fiend! You planned this all along!"**

Sayaka slapped her forehead. "I don't know what's more irritating," Sayaka grumbled. "That it just occurred to him that someone could trick him to do that….or that he also thinks that Makoto is the killer."

"I think both of those are equally irritating." Junko stated.

" **N-No!" Makoto denied. "I just wanted to see if the actual killer had tried to destroy any evidence or not!"**

" **But the 'actual killer' is you, isn't it?! You want to see if you left anything behind!" Hifumi accused. "Wait….maybe a parallel world….?"**

Makoto looked at Sayaka in concern when she made a hand strangling motion, anger and irritation clear on her face.

 **Makoto let out a breath of exasperation.** ' _ **Whatever, let's just hurry up and keep looking.'**_

 **The narrator Makoto spoke up once more. "There were three things I found in the investigation." The scene switched to Makoto kneeling down to the ripped piece of fabric that belonged to a shirt and some broken pieces of glass. "First thing was a burnt piece of fabric that was covered in blood, second thing found was that there were some broken shards of glass in front of the incinerator and the last thing was that the incinerator was already on."**

Hiro's eyes shot wide open when he recognized what was on the screen. "Hey! That's my crystal ball!"

"Your crystal ball?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow at the clairvoyant. "What is it doing in the trash room?"

"Hell if I know! But more importantly, why is it broken?" Hiro looked very shocked at seeing it broken. "I was told that it was indestructible! You're telling me that it was a lie?"

That got several sighs and/or eye rolls. Hiro told them before that his crystal ball was indestructible, but none of them believed it for a second. They all didn't have the heart, or the patience, to break the news to him.

"More importantly," Celeste spoke up. "Why is the incinerator already on?"

"A burnt off piece of fabric, a broken crystal ball, and the incinerator on." Jill listed off. "I don't know why that glass ball in there, but someone must've turned it on and threw a shirt in there. And judging by the blood, it was the same person who killed Sayaka."

"But the only one who could turn it on is…." Slowly, several of them turned to Hifumi. The fanfic creator paled.

Before he could panic, Makoto spoke up. "I don't think it's Hifumi." Makoto said. "Otherwise, the evidence would've been cleaned up better. I think we'll find out later during the trial."

Meanwhile, Kyoko had a guess as to what happened. ' _Leon must've found that crystal ball somewhere and used his skill as a baseball player to throw it at the button that turns the incinerator on. Then, he threw his shirt in there, but because he can't get past the gate, he couldn't completely get rid of it which explains the burnt piece of fabric.'_ The pieces were slowly coming together for her, but she still hasn't figured everything out yet. While she might have a very probably theory amongst other theories, she won't commit to them without the evidence to support them.

" **Huh?! Someone turned the incinerator on!" Hifumi yelled in shock. "Very strange….I'm quite certain it was off the last time I was down here. Perhaps it was the work of a fairy…."**

"Fairy?" Jill cocked her head in confusion before letting out a raspberry. "Yeah, right. Why would a fairy want to be near fire?"

"Maybe it was an ember fairy!" Hifumi suggested.

"Hmm, that makes sense!"

"I am surrounded by idiots." Byakuya mumbled.

 **Makoto's head shot up to Hifumi. "Hifumi! Do you realize what you just said?!"**

" **Huh? The fairy….?"**

" **...No." Makoto deadpanned a little. "You said that last time you were here, the incinerator was off."**

" **Ah, yes." Hifumi confirmed. "About that there can be no mistake. If I've got one thing going for me, it's my memory! Yesterday, as soon as I was appointed, I came down to check the place out. It definitely wasn't on at the time and I haven't been back to the trash room as well. And also, since I'm the only one who has the key to open the gate, it should be impossible for the incinerator to be on. And yet…."**

"Then how did it get turned off if Hifumi didn't turn it on?" Hina asked in confusion. "That shouldn't be possible."

"Maybe, they grabbed a long stick from somewhere and used that to turn on the incinerator!" Jill suggested. "That should be able to turn that thing on? Huh? Huh?"

"...I have no idea how to respond to that." Celeste deadpanned. "Where would one even get a stick long enough to turn on the incinerator?"

"From the trees! Duh!"

"They can't go outside you idiot." Byakuya groaned.

"Ah! Did I upset my master?!" Jill exclaimed. "Here! Let me comfort you with my voluptuous body!"

"Voluptuous isn't the word I would use." Leon whispered to his couch mates while Byakuya resisted Jill's advances. "Got to give the psycho points for confidence though, something Toko severely lacks."

Finally, after Byakuya managed to get Genocide Jill silent and the group continued watching.

' _ **That means someone was able to switch on the incinerator without opening the gate.'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **But….how is that possible?'**_

"Your future self isn't considering that Hifumi may have turned it on?"

"Ms. Ludenberg!"

Makoto shook his head. "He probably had the same thought as me, that the evidence would've been completely destroyed and nothing would've been left. Plus, I don't want to point fingers at my classmates unless I'm absolutely sure it's them."

He didn't mean to say as a way to jab at the others. Nevertheless, some of them winced.

 **As he pondered that, Hifumi spoke up. "This whole thing is quite strange, indeed," Hifumi declared. "When I was here last, the incinerator was off, and those glass shards and burnt clothes weren't here." Once again, he pointed a accusing finger at him. "What does it mean, Mr. Naegi?! Will you be confessing soon?!"**

" **Why me….?" Makoto couldn't help but groan.**

" **Everyone already knows you did it!" Hifumi stated. "All the mysteries are being solved one by one!"**

Mukuro's hands twitched to her hidden knives, fed up with the all the suspicion that has been placed on Makoto, but resisted the urge to either destroy the TV or kill her classmates herself.

"Sayaka, calm down please," Makoto pleaded to the girl, who look like she's going to blow up at any time. "There's nothing we can really do about the accusations against future me."

Sayaka let out a frustrated sigh. "I know. But it's just so frustrating, seeing everyone look at you with accusing eyes!"

"It ain't no picnic for us either." Mondo grumbled. "If we vote Makoto, we're all screwed except for the one who offed you."

"Not only that, but we all care for Makoto. Seeing ourselves accuse our class representative does not settle well in our stomach." Taka stated, getting a blush out of the luckster.

" **After that, I went to Chihiro and Yasuhiro. The first about the numbers, the other about the glass shards." Naruto Makoto spoke up. The scene switched to the gym, where Makoto is talking to Chihiro. "I talked to Chihiro first, but she didn't know what the numbers meant so I then went to Yasuhiro."**

 **Makoto walked up to the still panicking Hiro. "Hey Hiro, can I ask you something?"**

 **In response, Hiro cried out in distress once again. "No, no, no, no, no! I gotta get outta here! Gotta get out now! I've had enough! Gotta break free!"**

"You're STILL panicking?" Hina questioned in disbelief.

"And it seems he's caught up with the stages of panicking." Hifumi observed.

"I'm really questioning how slow his brain process everything." Celeste stated.

Hiro's shoulder sagged. "You guys suck, you know that?"

" **Hiro! Snap out of it!"**

" **Hrm?" Makoto's exclamation seemed to have snapped Hiro out of his panicked state. For now. "Huh? Makoto, what are you doing here? What….?"**

"Look like someone will have to get Hiro caught up on what transpired." Sakura sighed.

 **Makoto held up a clear bag filled with the broken chunks of glass. "Hey, um….does this look familiar?"**

" **Ahhh!" Hiro yelped in alarm. "That's my crystal ball! But….it's all smashed! What the hell…..?"**

"I know right?!" Hiro exclaimed in agreement. That got sighs from his friends.

" **I-I only bought it cuz the guy said it was blessed!" Hiro explained himself. "He said it was unbreakable! So….how did it break?"**

 **Realization hit his face. "Was it actually made of glass?! And not crystal?! Did that guy totally dupe me?! He said it belonged to the pillars of history….Genghis Khan, George Washington, Napoleon….he said whoever had the ball controlled the world! Was that seriously all BS?!"**

"I've been had! Tricked!" Hiro cried out. "How could that guy do that?"

"Quite easily, from the looks of it." Celeste stated. "Even I think that was a ridiculous lie to fall for."

"Yet, he fell for it." Leon looked at Hiro disbelieving. "Seriously? Pillars of history? Controlled the world? You really bought all that bull?"

Hiro chuckled sheepishly. "Well, he made a convincing argument."

"Or you're just a plain old fucking idiot." Mondo deadpanned.

" **U-Ummm," Makoto spoke up hesitantly. "Let's put that aside for now. So you can say without a doubt that this belonged to you?"**

" **Yeah, that's mine for sure." Hiro confirmed. "I prolly forgot it in the laundry room last night. Someone musta came by and snatched it."**

"The laundry room?" Chihiro furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "Then that mean anyone could've took it. But what would they use it for?"

' _...To throw it.'_ Makoto realized. ' _If they could hit the incinerator button, all they have to do is throw the shirt in there. But the distance from the gate to the incinerator is far. You either have to be extremely accurate with the throw, a huge amount of luck, or…..'_

' _...The confidence to land that throw.'_ Another realization hit his mind. ' _Most likely, the killer would've have to been confident to land that throw. But who-'_ Instantly, Makoto shut off that line of thought. He don't want to suspect any of his friends of killing Sayaka. But he isn't stupid. He knows that the killer is one of his friends, and they must be found.

However, he's gonna wait for as long as possible for that.

' _ **The laundry room, huh?'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **Which means, anybody could've went and grabbed it.'**_ **He then spoke up to Hiro. "Thanks, Hiro. That's all I wanted to know."**

" **S-Sure…."**

 **Makoto was silent for a moment. Then, hesitantly, he asked. "Um, by the way….I'm almost afraid to ask this, but how much did you pay for that thing?"**

Seeing this part, Makoto prepared for the shouts of disbelief that will about come. Hiro told him already, so he knows how his classmates will react.

" **Everything I saved up from fortune-telling for two full years." Hiro answered. "Came out to be like….a million."**

"A million?!" Nearly everyone screamed. Mondo then spoke for all of them. "Is he fucking joking?!"

"No, he isn't." Makoto sighed. "He told me before that he spent a million dollars on the crystal ball."

"Are you that stupid that you would waste all that money for a supposed indestructible ball of glass?!" Byakuya seethed. If there's one thing he loathed the most, it's a complete waste of money like that.

"Why, dude? Just, why?" Leon questioned, trying to understand Hiro's reasoning behind this.

Hiro was a bit startled at his classmates' reaction. "I-I'm sure my future self will say it."

" **A m-million?!"**

" **That's pretty cheap, actually." Hiro stated. "I mean, considering it gives you the power to control the world…."**

"See? Since it was suppose give you the power to control the world, it's pretty cheap." Hiro said quickly.

The sound of facepalms echoed the room. "You, are the most idiotic human being I have ever met, Yasuhiro." Byakuya declared.

"I was right to put him below D-rank." Celeste muttered. Like Byakuya, she's also appalled at how carelessly he threw money out like that.

"Is there a brain in there?" Junko asked, honestly wondering that. "Is there anything in there? Cause I'm starting to think otherwise."

"You're not the only one Junko." Leon sighed, rubbing his hair. "If there is, I don't think it's a functioning one."

"Oh come on, you guys!" Hiro whined. It was a totally good thing to buy! Or was supposed to be, anyway.

 **Makoto couldn't help but keep the look of pure disbelief on his face.** ' _ **That's just too….too stupid. I can't even feel bad for him….'**_

"Makoto!"

The luckster smiled apologetically to the clairvoyant. "Sorry Hiro. But that really was a stupid move on your part. You should've known that the seller's words weren't credible." Hiro's shoulder sagged at that.

" **And finally, to end the investigation, I went to the A/V room." The scene showed Makoto going into said room. "I went there to look at the video Sayaka got. It may not be relevant to the trial, but I felt that it wouldn't hurt to see."**

Sayaka felt herself stiffen a little, nervousness entering her body. They're about to see what got her future self to break down.

Hifumi grimaced. "We're probably not going to like this, are we?"

"No, we won't." Taka said, bracing himself.

 **Makoto looked at the DVD held in his hand before taking it out of the case and sliding into the DVD player. Pressing play, the video started playing.**

 **It was dark for a few seconds. But after those seconds, screen turn on to show Sayaka and her idol group in a concert, dancing and singing.**

Despite having a feeling of who's gonna be on there, Sayaka was still surprised. "My idol group." She gasped.

"So this is what Monokuma showed you?" Taka narrowed his eyes. "I wonder what he'd show the future Sayaka after this part."

"Definitely nothing pleasant." Leon remarked.

" **Sayaka…." The pain is clear in the boy's face, and his eyes started getting filled with tears.**

 **Then, a voice that Makoto began to despise came up. "Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Pop Sensation - lead singer for a world-famous all-girl pop band."**

Several winced at the pain in Makoto's voice, but then they all stiffened with the voice they're beginning to despised enter the video. "We're already hearing that bastard's voice." Mondo growled.

"It won't be long for him to sprung his motive." Kyoko stated.

" **For these girls, the glowing spotlight only made them that much more beautiful. But then," Then video suddenly went dark, but when it got back up, a different image was shown.**

 **The background of the stage was read, the stage itself in ruins, and Sayaka's pop group unconscious on the ground. The video startled Makoto. "What the-?!"**

Everyone reacted and recoiled in shock at what they're seeing. "What the hell just happened?!" Leon questioned.

"Did a fucking riot break out?!" Mondo exclaimed. "The whole place is trashed!"

"And why are the other girls unconscious?" Taka questioned worriedly. "Did they faint or something?"

Makoto at the scene, his own eyes wide in shock. And then he glanced at Sayaka.

The girl is shaking, her eyes extremely wide with horror and glued to the screen. "W-Wha-?" She began breathing out. "H-How? My friends….?" She wanted to take her eyes off the screen. To look away from this horrifying image. But her eyes wouldn't let her.

Makoto, knowing how she's feeling, quickly wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. Sayaka quickly returned it, clinging onto him like a life line.

 **And suddenly, a background of Monokuma popped up. "This ultra successful team suddenly fell apart!" Monokuma stated. "None of them will ever perform onstage again. None of them will ever feel the warmth of the spotlight. For Sayaka, there's simply nowhere for her to return to.**

" **So here's the billion dollar question - what oh what could have caused the group to break down into pieces?!" Finally, the video ended with the words 'Find the answer after graduation'.**

"Monokuma was the one who did this?" Chihiro questioned.

Byakuya frowned in thought. "But how is he able to ruin such a famous group?" While he doesn't listen to pop songs all that much, if at all, he still recognized Sayaka in her Ultimate position. "How powerful is the mastermind?"

Sayaka, meanwhile, is shivering. The obsessed and terrified look that was in her future self's eyes got in hers. Before she could sink herself in it, Makoto whispered in her ear. "Sayaka, calm down please. Your friends are okay. You're still the Ultimate Pop Sensation. Nothing happened to them yet."

Sayaka took those words in slowly, like a dehydrated man drinking water. She took a few deep breaths before letting go of Makoto, though once again, her hand is clinging onto his.

 **After that, the video cut off. "Wh-What the hell….?" Makoto questioned, slowly getting up. "That wasn't real, right?"**

' _ **They're a super famous group. Everyone knows who they are,'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **Is he trying to say he was even able to get to them? If that really did happen…. then everyone in the outside world must be going crazy!'**_

"Once again, just how powerful is the mastermind?" Byakuya questioned, frowning. "How much resources or influence did they manage to get?"

"That's just too scary to think about." Hina shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"We might need to work together to stop the mastermind." Celeste mused. "If they're as powerful as we suspect, we need all the physical strength, resources, and influence we could get. Just to be safe, at the very least."

"But first, we have to know what enemy we're fighting." Kyoko stated. "We need the mastermind's identity, or at least a hint of it."

Junko internally smirked. That would be easier said than done. She didn't let her identity get revealed easily, that's for sure.

 **Suddenly, the school bell rung. Soon after, the monitor inside the A/V turned on, revealing Monokuma in his usual position. "Erm, so, ah….I'm getting tired of waiting." Monokuma stated. "What say we just get started, hm? It's time for the long-awaited, class trial!"**

" **Now then, allow me to appoint a proper location for the proceedings." Monokuma began explaining. "Please go through the large red door on the 1st floor of the school!" He let out his usual giggle. "See you soon!" With that, the monitor turned off.**

Everyone tensed. This is it. The trial is about to begin. They'll see whether they find the killer within their group, or get executed for picking the wrong person.

 **Makoto tensed, silent for a moment. "The red door on the 1st floor," Makoto repeated to himself. "That's where I should go….no, where I have to go." With that said, he walked out of the A/V room.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto going through the red door, and saw everyone waiting near an elevator. "You're late, Makoto!" Taka exclaimed, pointing at the luckster. "We've all been waiting for you!"**

" **Hmph. I bet y-you were afraid you would be discovered as th-the murderer you are." Toko said.** (Making Sayaka let out a growl)

" **Let's not jump to conclusions just yet!" Taka stated. "Save that for the class trial!"**

Makoto sighed in relief. "Thanks Taka."

"I'm glad that not everyone is pointing fingers at him." Sayaka huffed.

" **There we can all reveal the details of Makoto's crimes!"**

Makoto's head dropped to the ground. "Oh come on!"

"Are you serious?!" Sayaka exclaimed in pure frustration.

Taka bowed his head in shame. "I'm deeply sorry for my accusation Makoto! If you must, hit me for such idiocy!"

"Hey, no need for that Taka." Makoto reassured nervously. "It was your future self that made the accusation, not you."

' _ **So they all really are convinced that I did it.'**_ **Makoto thought grimly. '** _ **But I didn't do it.'**_ **A flashback of the dead Sayaka on the bathroom floor.** ' _ **Sayaka and I**_ _ **both knew that all too well.'**_ **The scene switched back to Makoto.** ' _ **But then who is the killer?'**_

 **He looked at everyone in here.** ' _ **The one who killed Sayaka….is it really one of us?'**_

 **The monitor inside the room suddenly turned on, revealing Monokuma. He let his usual giggle. "Is everyone here? Okay then," He then began the next set of instructions. "Please board the elevator in front of you, which will transport you to the room where all your fates will be decided." He giggled once more. "I'll meet you all down there and don't take too long! I'll be waiting…." With that, the monitor turned off again.**

 **Everyone turned their head towards the elevator. Sakura was the first to move towards it. "Let us begin."**

" **Good idea." Celeste was the second one to go. Slowly, everyone started going into the elevator, but Kyoko and Makoto stood back.**

" **Are you scared?" Kyoko asked him.**

" **N-No," Makoto shook his head. "Scared isn't quite right…."**

"Then what would you call it?" Leon asked him.

"Anxiety, maybe." Makoto suggested. "I mean, most of us are pretty anxious about this, aren't we?"

"Yeah. The music isn't helping much either." Chihiro then turned to Spirit. "By the way, I've been noticing that music have been playing in the background. Why is that?" The programmer have been wondering that for a while, along with everyone else, but with everything that they've been watching, no one thought of asking.

"Like with the opening, it adds a bit more flare to it." Spirit told him. "I'm surprised that you haven't asked sooner."

"Our minds were preoccupied with everything else." Byakuya sighed.

" **I said it before, but it's up to you to uncover the mysteries surrounding the case yourself." She turned and walked to the elevator. "If you don't, you'll never come to grips with the truth."**

"Judging by her words, I'm guessing Kyoko knows that Makoto isn't the killer." Celeste noted.

Makoto and Sayaka sighed in relief while Kyoko couldn't help but smirk at the latter. "Told you my other will find out."

"I'm really glad your future self with them Kyoko." Makoto said gratefully.

 **Makoto looked down.** ' _ **I know. I don't need anyone else to tell me that.'**_ **He gripped his fist.** ' _ **In Sayaka's honor, I swear I'll find out who the real killer is!'**_

 **Trying to give himself courage, he walked into the elevator. And as soon as he entered the elevator, the door behind him closed and the steel box descended downward.**

 **They all waited for the box to get to the basement. "I wonder if this is how death row inmates feels when their time finally comes…." Makoto pondered.**

 **"Rather than that, is it not more like a defendant waiting to receive his judgement?" Celeste suggested.**

"Both seem like accurate comparisons." Mukuro stated.

Hiro sighed. "Oh man, I can feel my future self's nerves right now!"

"Same here! I bet my future self is shivering like crazy!" Hina said, one of the few times she agreed with Hiro.

 **The elevator continued moving, oblivious to the anxiety in the room, until it finally stopped and open its door.**

 **What they were met with is a royalty looking room, with sixteen podiums in the middle facing each other. The students slowly got out of the elevator, examining their new surrounding. And then an evil and obnoxious laughter entered the room. "You've finally arrived!"**

 **They looked to the direction of the laughter to see Monokuma, sitting on a throne. "What do you think? Doesn't it feel like a real courtroom? It's like a Hollywood movie, set, right?!"**

Jill narrowed her eyes at Monokuma. "So that's the one in charge, huh?" She then grinned wickedly, pulling out her designed scissors. "Well, since it's a toy robot, I can snip, snip, snip it all I want! Once I see that stupid bear I'll-ACHOO!" At the sudden sneeze, Jill instantly turn back to Toko. "H-Huh?"

"Hey Toko." Makoto waved his hand towards her. "You changed into Jill again. We'll give you the rundown to what happened."

While Makoto and a few of the others explain what happened to Toko, Byakuya raised an eyebrow at the so called courtroom. "The bear honestly thinks that that looks like a courtroom?"

"It looks like a throne room to me." Hiro said, looking at the area on screen in confusion.

"It's because it is, idiot." Mondo sighed. "If it's not, then it's total shit."

That comment got Junko mentally depressed. ' _Did they have to make fun of my stage?'_

" **Not even close." Mondo stated. "It's total shit."**

" **Okay, okay," Monokuma steadily ignored the insult. "Everyone find your podiums and stand there! Hurry up now, hurry up!"**

"Once again, he's way too eager." Hina said, a disturbed look on her face.

"His bloodlust seems endless." Hifumi said nervously. "Insatiable."

 **The remaining students slowly went over to the podiums. "And so, the curtain on our first case opened," The narrator Makoto spoke. "A deadly judgement….a deadly deception….a deadly betrayal…." The camera showed Hifumi, Toko, Leon, Celeste, Byakuya, Chihiro, and Hiro walking on their podiums.**

" **A deadly riddle, a deadly defense, a deadly faith," The camera switched to Hina, Mondo, Kyoko, Sakura, and Taka walking on their podiums.**

 **Finally, the camera switched to Makoto walking on his podium, determination clear in his eyes. "A deadly….class trail!"**

Everyone tensed, anticipating the class trial. This is it. This is where they either find out who killed Sayaka….or die trying.

"I have to admit, Makoto looked a little badass just now." Leon commented on. "Especially with the camera angle and narration."

"Yeah! He's definitely playing the role of the hero really good!" Hina stated. Several others nodded in agreement, causing a blush to come from the youngster.

"Seriously, guys, I don't think I looked that cool."

"Trust me Makoto, this scene makes you look very cool." Junko stated, grinning at him. "I'm almost tempted to take you out a date."

That got Makoto blushing more, while his crushes' glared at Junko. Sayaka, in particular, is giving her a death glare. "I don't think this is the time to tease him like that." Kyoko told Junko evenly. "Right now, we should focus on the trial."

Junko pouted. "Aww. But I like teasing him!"

Makoto, though his face still burning, returned his attention back to the TV. The class trial has begun now. Time to find out which one of them killed Sayaka, and why she was killed.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next up, is gonna be the class trial. There, much more drama will ensue between the class. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **Editor: Also, here's the questions part! I'll be formatting this section as the following to make it easier to read. Also, your questions most likely won't be worded verbatim to save space as some of them are quite lengthy.  
Q (Question): Question  
S (Spirit Soldier): Spirit's answer  
L (A Lucky Soldier): My answer**

 **Q: Will there be a Class 77 watches the future?  
S: I have plans on having them watch Danganronpa 2 with Class 78 as well.**

 **Q: Will Junko be receiving any character development?  
** **S: I plan to get Junko some character development, if at all possible  
** **L: I'm sure there will be Junko character development in the story. Remember guys, even though we're hitting chapter 19, we're still just on the first trial!**

 **Q: Will Makoto be more and more appalled and also find it increasingly difficult to forgive his classmates for their actions throughout DR:THH?  
S: We'll see as the story progresses**


	20. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P12

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. This chapter will be the start of the class trial. Hope this will be as good as the other chapters. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 19: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 12

" **Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results." Monokuma began explaining from his throne. "If you can figure out 'whodunnit', then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one, then I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and the one that deceived everyone else will graduate!"**

" **And the killer really is one of us, right?" Makoto asked, a small part of him hoping for a no.**

 **Unfortunately, the rest of him knew it was pointless to hope. "Of course!"**

" **Okay, then," Taka spoke up. "Everyone close your eyes, and whoever did it, raise your hand!"**

The sound of facepalms echoed the room in response to the ridiculous proposition. "Bro, no one would raise their hand like that." Mondo groaned. "Remember if they get caught, they'll end up dead."

Taka dipped his head sheepishly. "Well, maybe they might have had a change of consciousness."

"Doubtful. If none of us revealed that they were the killer, then I doubt they will anytime soon." Celeste sighed.

 **Mondo facepalmed. "Don't be a goddamn idiot." He groaned. "Why the hell would they raise their hand?"**

" **Before we move on and start the trial, can I ask a question real quick?" Kyoko asked.**

 **The camera then switched to the pictures of Sayaka and Junko on the podiums, a red X crossed over their faces. "What's going on with….those pictures?"**

"Yeah. Why are those pictures?" Hina asked, looking a bit creeped out. "They're kinda creepy."

"Yeah. They are." Makoto agreed, shifting uncomfortably. They're also glaring reminders that Sayaka and Mukuro are dead.

Said girls were also aware of this, and Mukuro turned her eyes away from the screen while Sayaka shifted closer to Makoto for comfort.

" **I'd feel awful if they got left out just because they died." Monokuma stated. "Friendship penetrates even death's barriers!"**

" **Friendships….penetrates?" Hifumi repeated, wide eyes.**

His comments, once again, weirded out the entire class. "Seriously? Even during a time like this?" Leon asked in disbelief. "Mind out of the gutters, Hifumi."

Hifumi, who had the same reaction as his future self, looked away, trying to look innocent. No one bought it.

" **Okay," Celeste spoke up. "But what about that other empty seat?" The camera switched to the last empty seat. "There were only fifteen of us to begin with, so why are there sixteen seats?"**

" **Oh, no reason." Monokuma answered. "It's just that our little courtroom here can technically fit up to sixteen people."**

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "I highly doubt it's a technicality."

"Most likely, the last seat was reserved for Junko, or Mukuro, in the mastermind's point of view." Kyoko stated. When she said that, something came into her head. A glaring detail she missed.

She'll sort that one out later, though. Right now, she needs to pay attention to the trial.

"Oh, right. Junko was the only one who didn't get caught." Hina said in remembrance. "Makes me wonder where she is now."

' _I_ _n the monitor room, watching all of the despair so close, yet so far away!'_ Junko thought in a wistful dramatic way.

" **Okay, that about does it for the preamble. Time to get started!" Monokuma announced. "First up is the case summary. Now, let the trial….begin!"**

' _ **The debate is about to begin.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself, looking focus and determined.** ' _ **Anything I found, anything I noticed….I have to be ready to speak up about everything. My life isn't the only thing on the line here. Everyone's lives are too!'**_

Sayaka sighed. "Will there ever be a time where you worry about yourself, Makoto?"

"Well, like 'I' said, it isn't about just me. Everyone's lives here are at risk." Makoto stated. "I can't fear for my own life when other lives are in danger too."

"Wise words to be spoken." Sakura praised.

 **As soon as Makoto finished thinking that, the camera zoomed out and started spinning. Continuing to spin, it zoomed in to the students and several bullets, each with a piece of evidence engraved on them, appeared onto the screen as an overlay. When the camera stopped at Makoto, the bullets were gathered up and put away into the slot beside it.**

"What the-What the hell is this?" Mondo exclaimed in shock. Everyone else is also surprised by what they just saw.

"This is what's called the non-stop debate." Spirit explained to them. "There's gonna be several debates where Makoto is gonna spot contradictions in. Once he sees them, a bullet will be shot and he will correct that contradiction."

"What's the point in adding that?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow to their host. "I don't see the point in it."

"For one, it would be easier for you guys to spot contradictions." Spirit said with a shrug. "Not all of you are adept to spotting those things."

"He raises a good point." Celeste stated. "And what's the other reason?"

"Same reason as the music and opening. Also to make the trials, which is more of a debate, more organized and structured." Was the host's answer. "Just so you know, there will be more features like this throughout the trial."

 **The camera began switching from character to character as they speak. "I assert that the one who was murdered was Miss Sayaka Maizono!"**

" **...Yeah, we know that part already." Hiro deadpanned.**

" **And the murder took place in Makoto's room." Byakuya continued.**

" **In the bathroom." Hina added in softly.**

" **So it seems most likely that," Chihiro mused. "The killer must have taken her by surprise while she was in the bathroom." Chihiro then started to tear up a little. "She didn't even have a chance to resist…." Just as she said that, the last sentence appeared in front of her.**

"Oh, I see it!" Hina said eagerly. "The contradiction!"

"We have eyes. We don't need you to tell us." Byakuya deadpanned.

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **As Makoto thought that, the bullets on the bottom cycled around until the correct one was highlighted. Then, it was shoot through the previous sentence as Makoto continued. "Just a second, Chihiro. Try to remember how my room looked," A flashback of the room was shown. "With the way things had been damaged, I think we can definitely assume there was a struggle."**

 **That surprised Chihiro. "A struggle? Between who….and who?"**

" **Between Sayaka and the killer, of course." Makoto answered.**

"One glimpse of the room and it should've been obvious." Byakuya remarked. "How did Chihiro miss that?"

"Maybe because she didn't get a good glimpse of the room." Taka suggested. "If any."

" **So you're saying that….Sayaka wasn't caught by surprise in the bathroom?" Chihiro clarified.**

" **She must have been attacked in the main room first, then she ran to the bathroom to try and hide." Celeste theorized. "The killer followed her in, and that's where they finished the job…."**

" **That much should have been obvious after taking one look at the scene. It shouldn't even need explaining." Byakuya remarked coldly.**

" **S-Sorry," Chihiro said, looking embarrassed.**

"Well he didn't have to be mean about it!" Hina complained with a scowl.

" **...Okay, so what's next?" Was Hiro's question.**

" **Next is the subject of the murder weapon." Sakura answered.**

" **Wow," Hifumi said in amazement. "This is starting to sound like a real trial!"**

"Yeah. This is becoming very serious." Hifumi agreed with his future self.

"Though from the sounds of how the class trial will be like, it seems like it's gonna be a mix of a trial and a debate." Makoto mused. "After all, each of us are making our arguments on which one of us did it."

"True." Kyoko agreed with him.

 **The non-stop debate started once again. This time, Sakura was the first to speak. "So what was used to kill her?"**

" **There was some kind of sharp object thrust into her stomach," Taka mused. "Without a doubt, that's the murder weapon!"**

" **So the killer used some random knife they had had on em…." As Mondo said that, the words appeared in front of him.**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **The bullet was shot and Makoto spoke up once again. "No. I do think it was a knife - but not just any knife. I'm almost positive it was a kitchen knife."**

" **Huh? A kitchen knife?" Mondo asked in confusion.**

" **After the murder, we discovered that one of the knives from the kitchen was missing." Makoto explained.**

" **Which means that knife must be the murder weapon." Sakura deduced.**

" **Ohh….yeah, I guess that makes sense. You could sorta see the weapon stickin' out of her stomach," Mondo said. "And if you look real close, it even has a lot of the blood on it, I could totally see that being a kitchen knife."**

" **Okay, so the murder weapon was a kitchen knife. But where does that get us?" Leon questioned. "I mean, we all know Makoto killed her, right?"**

" **That's r-right," Toko agreed. "Makoto's room was the s-scene of the crime. What more proof do you n-need?"**

"A lot more proof." Sayaka growled, looking ready to strangle someone once again. Why are they so adamant that it was Makoto who killed her?!

Makoto gave the idol a pleading look, which got the idol to settle down a little. But she still has a slight scowl on her face.

" **H-Hold on a second! I'm-!"**

 **Makoto was interrupted by Kyoko. "Let's draw our conclusions after we've presented our evidence." Kyoko told them. "Otherwise, what's the point of the trial?"**

" **Well, we can talk all we want, it's not gonna change that conclusion." Leon remarked.**

"Leon…."

Leon held his hands up in surrender. "It's not my opinion! It's his!" He cried, a finger pointing at the screen. No way he's facing Sayaka's wrath!

" **I don't think that's true at all." Kyoko stated. "I'm sure if we keep at it, something new will reveal itself."**

" **You really believe that?" Hiro asked in a bit of disbelief. Kyoko merely stayed silent at that.**

' _ **She's right. There's gotta be a breakthrough somewhere just waiting for us to find it.'**_ **Makoto thought in determination.** ' _ **Because I know damn well that I'm not the killer!'**_

"Luckily, there are. Three of them, in fact." Kyoko said, a small smirk on her face. "At least one of them should help clear Makoto's innocence."

"Three of them?" Celeste asked in confusion. "I gather that Hina's testimony, along with the doorknob being broken, are those breakthroughs, as future Makoto said. But what is the third one?"

Makoto was thinking about it for a moment. Thanks to how the investigation was organized, it didn't take him long to figure it out. "You're talking about the lack of hair in my room, aren't you?"

Kyoko nodded. "It would be natural for you to have hair in the room, since it's your room. But since all of it disappeared, it's safe to assume that the killer was the one to do it."

Hina beamed. "Three pieces of evidence that proves Makoto isn't the killer! Alright!"

Sayaka felt a little relieved at that. But she's still tense, knowing that the accusations against Makoto will still be going strong.

 **Once again, the non-stop debate started up, with Leon being the first to speak. "So I guess there's no question that the kitchen knife was the murder weapon." He said. "But where does that get us?"**

" **M-Makoto must have taken it f-from the kitchen, right?" Toko accused. "He did it in s-secret, when nobody was in the d-ding hall…."**

 **Once again, when the words appeared, the corresponding bullet was shot and Makoto spoke up. "Okay, wait, hold on." He told them. "I didn't take the knife from the kitchen."**

" **Next you're g-gonna say you're not the k-killer, right? Go ahead and say it all y-you want….!"**

"Damn. Future Toko is adamant that Makoto is the killer." Leon whistled.

Toko, seeing this and hearing what Leon said, frowned and looked away. Like everyone else, she didn't like that Makoto is being accused of murder. She especially didn't like the fact that her future self is so adamant about it. It made her feel worse than usual.

" **Well, what if I had a witness?" Makoto countered. "What do you think, Hina?"**

" **...Huh?" Was the girl's response.**

"Hina, I like you and you're a good friend, but if you forget the fact that you were in the dining hall….."

"I'm sure she won't forget!" Hina cried out, fearful of the angry Sayaka. She swore that Sayaka can be very scary sometimes.

" **Remember what you were telling me earlier?" Makoto asked her, a flashback of Hina's words entered the TV before switching back to the trial. "Just to be perfectly clear, the knife disappeared while you were in the dining hall, correct?"**

" **Y-Yeah, that's right," Hina said, remembering what she told Makoto.**

" **And at any point while you were there, did you ever see me come into the dining hall?" Makoto asked her.**

" **Ummm….no, I don't think so…."**

" **You don't 'think' so?" Byakuya commented on.**

" **...No, he definitely wasn't there!" Hina corrected herself, with more confidence.**

" **The knife disappeared while Hina was in the dining hall. But I wasn't there the entire time." Makoto told all of them. "In other words, there's no way I could have taken the knife!"**

"Alright! A good old alibi!" Hiro cheered.

Sayaka sighed in a bit of relief. "That should stop the accusations, right?"

" **Okay, th-then what about this….?" Toko began suggesting. "What if the i-idiot swimmer girl and M-Makoto are in on it together, a-and lying to protect each other?"**

"Oh come on!"

"You've gotta be fucking kidding!"

"Idiot swimmer girl?! That name again?!"

"Wow. Your future self is really hell-bent on the fact that Makoto is the killer." Junko whistled, causing Toko to wince.

"Y-Yeah." She cowered a little under the glare Sayaka is giving her, which is joined by a small frown from Sakura. Neither of them appreciated their closest friends getting accused.

" **Idiot swimmer girl?!" Hina exclaimed in shock. "Oh, and more importantly, why would I get involved in something like that?!"**

" **Speaking of which, I'd like to ask the bear," Byakuya said. He turned to Monokuma's direction. "If there is an accomplice, do they also become 'blackened'?"**

" **So you ask, and so I shall answer!" Monokuma began answering. "Each murder is allowed to have an accomplice, but only the one who did the killing will get to graduate."**

"That should shoot down Toko's theory of them lying to protect each other." Kyoko stated. "After all, if only the killer gets to profit, then there's no way anyone would work together."

"But someone could try saying that they didn't know at the time and work together anyway." Taka suggested.

"Maybe, but if so, then the accomplice would've revealed the crime by now." Byakuya said. "Or at least, give us hints as to who did it."

" **So in other words, two people can work together, but one of them has no chance of profiting from it." Kyoko summarized.**

" **Then there's no way anyone would work together," Mondo stated. "Right?"**

" **But….what if they did work together, and and they just didn't know about the rule?" Chihiro suggested.**

" **Uggh, good grief! Enough already!" Monokuma exclaimed in annoyance. "No, okay?! There are no accomplices in this case!" He then realized what he just revealed. "...Oops! Did I say that out loud?"**

"And that will shut down the accomplice theory." Byakuya sighed.

"It will definitely save a lot of time." Makoto agreed.

" **Anyway, I didn't go to the dining hall, and I didn't take the knife." Makoto got back to the main subject. "So I'm not the killer!"**

" **Okay, so then….who did take the knife?" Chihiro asked.**

" **Hina seems the most obvious candidate." Celeste stated. "After all, she just said she was in the dining hall."**

"Oh crap! Everyone's gonna blame me now!" Hina exclaimed in worry. "Why Celeste?"

"My apologies, Hina, but our future selves needed to point out something." Celeste told her.

"Relax Hina. I'm sure there will be an alibi for you soon." Sakura reassured, confident that Hina isn't the killer.

" **N-No way! I swear it wasn't me!" Hina said in panic.**

" **Sure," Hifumi began. "But can you or anyone else prove that?"**

" **I can." Immediately, Sakura spoke up.**

" **That's right! Sakura was with me the entire time while I was drinking tea…." Hina quickly said.**

Hina sighed in relief. "Oh, good. I got an alibi. Thank you, Sakura."

"Don't get comfortable yet. This implies that either of you could've grabbed the knife." Byakuya pointed out. That got a gulp from Hina.

" **Uhh," Leon spoke up. "I hate to have to ask this, but just to be sure, Sakura's…."**

" **Me." Said girl shortly stated.**

" **...Right." Leon grinned nervously at the intimidating looking girl.**

"Scared of one of our strongest classmates, Leon?" Celeste asked amusingly, getting several chuckles and smirks from his classmates while Leon grumbled.

"Can you blame me? She looks like she could take out a tank if she wanted to." He then gulped and quickly looked towards Sakura. "Um, no offense, Sakura."

"None taken. Like I said before, I'm aware of how intimidating I can look." Sakura stated, smiling a little in amusement.

" **But then….couldn't either of them one of them have grabbed the knife?" Hiro questioned.**

" **Actually, no." Hina disagreed. "Because….um….well…."**

" **Just spit it out already!" Mondo demanded in irritation.**

 **Sakura was the one to answer. "I stayed in Hina's room last night."**

Several eyes widen in shock at this. "The two of you in a room….together?" Hifumi slowly questioned. A perverted look entered his features. "I wonder what those two were doing while in there. Something, explicit, maybe?"

"Oh gross, Hifumi!" Hina exclaimed, a creeped out look on her face. "I doubt anything like that happened!" Sakura merely sighed, wondering how Hifumi thought process end up to that.

Suddenly, Hifumi got hit with a baseball, drawing an "Ow!" from the fanfic creator, as well as wiping that perverted look off his face.

"Glad I found these puppies in the recreational room!" Leon said, tossing a baseball up and down on his hand. "Did you not see yourself on the TV fatty?" Hifumi had the decency to look embarrassed and sheepish.

"We're lucky that Jill left when she did." Byakuya sighed. "Her comments would've been more revolting than that of Hifumi's."

"Yes. We should be lucky that she isn't here." Sakura sighed in aggravation.

" **I got scared thanks to those creepy videos. I wasn't really thinking, I just asked her to stay over." Hina explained herself. "Which means that we have airtight alibis!"**

"Alright!" Hina said in relief. "Look like Sakura and I are out of list of suspects."

' _So Makoto, Toko, Hiro, Hina, Hifumi and Sakura are crossed out of the possible people that could have killed Sayaka.'_ Byakuya thought to himself. ' _Which leaves seven of us as possible suspects for her murder.'_ He didn't voice this out, though, deciding to keep it to himself to avoid trouble.

" **You s-stayed over….?" Toko asked, a bit surprised. "Doesn't that v-violate one of the school r-regulations?"**

" **We're not allowed to sleep anywhere but the dorms, but it doesn't say we have to stay in our assigned rooms," Chihiro recalled. "So….I don't think that's a problem."**

" **It IS a problem!" Take protested loudly. "A boy and a girl spending the night together?! It's….it's….unwholesome!"**

Immediately, several of them started laughing or smirking in amusement. Even Sakura is smiling in amusement at the mistake. Taka, however, moaned in embarrassment. "Oh no."

Mondo patted his friend in the back, still chuckling. "Don't worry, bro. Your not the only one who made that mistake."

" **But….I'm a girl."**

" **Wh-?! You are?!" Taka exclaimed in shock. Then immediately, he felt ashamed. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"**

"Please forgive me for such a horrible mistake, Sakura!"

"It's alright, Taka. Like I said the before, this won't be the last time someone make that mistake." Sakura reassured, still smiling.

" **But if it wasn't either of you, then what other possibility is there?" Celeste questioned.**

"She's got a point." Kyoko agreed with the future Celeste. "With Monokuma prohibiting us from going in the dining hall during nighttime, it's not possible for anyone to steal the knife during that time."

"So SOMEONE had entered the dining hall. Otherwise, there's no explanation as to how the knife disappeared and was later used as the weapon to kill Sayaka." Mukuro said.

" **Actually, there is one other possibility." Sakura recalled. "Right, Hina?"**

" **Oh yeah, that's true!" Hina started recalling as well. "One other person did come to the dining hall while we were there."**

"Finally. Maybe we can find out which of us did it with this." Leon stated, with a bit of relief.

"But why didn't Sakura or Hina mention this in the first place?" Byakuya remarked. "While I can see Hina forgetting, Sakura isn't so dimwitted."

"Hey!"

" **Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Byakuya questioned in annoyance.**

" **Well, because….they're not here anymore." Hina answered him.**

' _Huh?'_ Was the overall thought of most of them in the room. Someone who's not here anymore?

 **Makoto's eyes widened in surprise.** ' _ **Someone's who not here?'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **Are you talking about….?'**_

" **Sayaka." Hina continued. "She's the one who entered the dining hall. And then later….she wound up dead…."**

That shocked everyone in the room. "S-Sayaka? She was the one who took the knife?" Makoto questioned, completely bewildered. Sayaka herself also had trouble keeping the shock to herself.

"That seems to be the only possibility." Celeste stated. "No one else could've taken the knife."

"But why did she take the knife?" Chihiro asked. "Did she want something for protection?"

"Yeah….yeah, I'm sure it's that." Makoto said, quickly clinging to that explanation.

A few others, however, thought differently. Byakuya has two theories: either Sayaka knew, or at least suspected, that someone planned to murder her….or was planning to do a murder herself.

Kyoko, however, is confident that Sayaka was planning to murder Leon. The knowledge just now given to them, along with the other pieces of evidence they saw, all made her more confident in her theory. She also suspected that Sayaka planned to frame Makoto for the murder, which is why she chose his room as the scene of the crime.

She looked at Makoto discreetly in concern, wondering how he would take it.

' _ **S-Sayaka….?'**_ **Makoto thought, startled. "Then….Sayaka was the one who took the knife….?"**

" **That's the only possibility." Sakura answered. "And thinking back on it, she was acting kind of unusual. When she came into the dining hall, she didn't even look at us. She just went straight to the kitchen. As she left, she said she just wanted a drink of water. But most likely…."**

Sayaka started shaking a little in trepidation. Why would she take the knife? Immediately, her thoughts went back to her future self's reaction to the motive, her behavior with Makoto after, her switching of rooms, and the possibility that she let her killer in the room. Could it be….? Did her future self….?

She shook her head. No! No, she wouldn't! She wouldn't go that far, right? She wouldn't do that to Makoto, would she? But no matter how she tried to shake that thought out of her head, a cloud of doubt still remained in her heart.

Junko covered her mouth to mask her giggle of glee. Oh, the tragedy! The despair! Once Makoto finds out about what Sayaka tried to do, he would feel so much despair! She couldn't wait!

" **Then the person who took the knife was the victim herself!" Taka stated.**

" **I'm sure….I'm sure she just took it for self defense…." Makoto stated, not sounding very sure.**

" **So you're saying that the knife she took….was then taken from her, and used to kill her?" Byakuya clarified. His eyes then went straight to Makoto. "In that case, you may not have taken the knife, but you still could have killed her."**

"What?!" Makoto, Sayaka, and a few others exclaimed. Some of the others' also have their eyes widened in surprise.

" **What?!" Was the response from Makoto.**

" **S-See?! He did do it, a-after all!" Toko quickly stated.**

"Oh come on!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Those comments came from Mondo and Leon, respectively.

" **No, you're wrong!" Makoto protested. But unfortunately, most of them wasn't listening.**

" **So that's how you would twist the argument and send us all off in the wrong direction?!" Hifumi accused. "Hm-hmm….you possess a most terrifying talent…."**

"Are we back to square one again?" Hina exclaimed in frustration.

Sayaka's anxiety transformed back to anger. "Are you guys that quick to point fingers at Makoto?!"

"They're quick to jump to conclusions,that's for sure." Mukuro clipped, very displeased as well.

' _ **Damn!'**_ **Makoto cursed in his mind.** ' _ **If I don't do something, they're gonna blame me for the murder! Don't they understand? If they convict me, everyone's gonna die!'**_

"And yet, Makoto still wants to save everyone." Sayaka pointed out, causing the guilty parties to slump in guilt.

"Sayaka, relax. Remember, we can't control how our future selves think." Makoto said to placate the girl. "Besides, I doubt my future self is going to hate everybody just because of some accusations."

' _Just because of some accusations?'_ Mukuro thought in aggravation. ' _Makoto, sometimes you are too kind for your own good.'_

" **Hold on." Kyoko interjected. "It's still too early to decide conclusively that Makoto is the killer, wouldn't you say? Because, you see, if the room did belong to the killer, then they did something most bewildering. And until until we unravel that little mystery, you simply can't declare that he's the killer."**

Several sighs of relief entered the room. "I'm really glad that you're there Kyoko." Makoto said gratefully, earning a small blush from Kyoko.

"I wouldn't let you get framed for something you didn't do, Makoto. No matter the situation." Kyoko told him.

" **Bewildering? What the hell are you talking about?" Mondo questioned.**

" **Something was missing from the scene of the crime that by all rights should have been there." Kyoko explained.**

"Something missing from the scene?" Byakuya repeated. "Your future self is talking about the hair, isn't she?"

"Oh, right! We still have that evidence for Makoto!" Hina beamed. "That should prove he's innocent!"

"I doubt that by itself would convince our future selves of his innocence," Celeste mused. "But it would be a good shift to that direction."

' _ **Something that wasn't there at the crime scene?'**_ **Makoto thought. The camera angled to the side of his and his body turned black. Flashbacks of the investigation began showing.** ' _ **Let's see….I remember Kyoko was searching for something on the floor….she was searching for….'**_

 **Makoto's image went back to normal as it hit him. "That's right! There wasn't a single strand of hair on the floor!" Makoto realized.**

"What the heck was that?" Leon questioned.

Spirit answered. "Another feature I added here. Whenever an important piece of evidence needs to come up, this is used."

" **So….the culprit removed some evidence?" Chihiro questioned.**

" **Yes. And if I were the culprit, why would I need to get rid of all the hair in my own room?" Makoto asked them all. "It wouldn't be unusual at all to find my hair at the crime scene, if the crime scene is my room."**

" **The reason that all the hair was gone….was to remove any trace that Sayaka had ever been there." Celeste suggested. "That makes sense, does it not?"**

" **No." Kyoko answered. "If that were the case, they would have to do something about the body itself, not just her hair."**

" **Ah-ha-ha! Yes, very true, very true!" Hifumi declared dramatically.**

"Now's not the time to divulge in your fantasies, Hifumi." Taka chastised. "This is serious, here!"

"I know it's serious! But I need the act the part of a mystery solver!"

"Mystery solver? It looks like Makoto and Kyoko are doing most of the brunt work." Junko scoffed. The fanfic creator deflated at that.

" **Okay, then why wasn't there any hair on the ground?" Leon asked.**

" **The killer got rid of it all, of course. To remove any trace that they had ever been there." Kyoko answered.**

" **Wait, then that means….!" Mondo began saying in realization.**

" **Precisely." Kyoko interjected. "It's simply beyond reason to believe that the room's owner and the killer are one and the same."**

"Alright! That should get us convinced!" Hina cheered.

"Hopefully." Sayaka agreed.

" **Then….Makoto isn't the culprit?" Chihiro asked.**

 **Before anyone could answer, Taka interjected. "But are you sure we can decide something so important base solely on the absent of some hair?!"**

Heads were dropped. "You have got to be kidding us." Leon groaned.

"He's got a point though, as much as it annoys you guys." Makoto sighed. "We'll just have to hope that the last piece of evidence will convince everyone."

"I'm sure it will. After all, there isn't anything that should counter it." Kyoko said in confidence. "And with the missing hair evidence already given, it should convince everyone."

" **No. There are other reasons that prove why Makoto couldn't have done it." Kyoko said smoothly.**

" **I would like to hear those reasons." Sakura requested.**

"Here's the last piece of evidence," Sayaka murmured worriedly. While Kyoko says that the last piece of evidence should convince everyone, she's still concerned that her class will vote Makoto and get themselves killed.

While she's miffed that most of them are so adamant that Makoto is the killer, they're still her friends. She doesn't want any of them to die.

" **Do you remember anything remarkable about the bathroom at the scene?" Kyoko asked them. "Sayaka was attacked in the main room first, then fled into the bathroom, right?"**

" **Yeah, then they ran after her, got into the bathroom, and stabbed her." Mondo confirmed.**

" **And how did the killer get into the bathroom? Did they have any trouble with it?" Kyoko asked them.**

" **What do you mean?" Celeste inquired.**

" **It's fairly obvious that the killer had some trouble getting into the bathroom," Kyoko began explaining. "There was clear evidence left behind."**

" **You're talking about the doorknob, right?" Makoto recalled.**

" **Huh? The doorknob?" Hiro said in confusion. "What doorknob?"**

" **The doorknob for my bathroom….it was completely broken." Makoto told him. Going on his E-Handbook, he showed a picture of the broken doorknob to everyone. "See how the top part was unscrewed, and the doorknob about ready to fall off?"**

" **Oh yeah, that's true," Chihiro agreed. "But what does it mean?"**

" **In trying to bypass the lock, they ended up nearly removing the entire doorknob." Kyoko explained. "This is another most bewildering act for the room's owner. It proves Makoto is beyond suspicion."**

" **So what, you're saying he wouldn't break the door in his own room?" Leon asked rhetorically. "But if the only choice you have is to break it, you break it! There's nothing 'bewildering' about it!"**

"Not if it didn't have a lock in the first place, and the owner knows how to open it from the outside." Byakuya remarked. "With those cases, it's pretty bewildering."

"Definitely." Kyoko said in agreement. While she and Byakuya don't see eye-to-eye a lot of times, they can agree with one another on some things.

" **You still don't see? Okay then," A small smirk formed on her face. "Let's take another look at how the incident unfolded. Hopefully that will help you understand…."**

' _ **A most bewildering act. I almost didn't notice it at first, but….is that a key point here?'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.**

 **Non-stop debate started up yet again and Kyoko was the first to speak. "The incident took place in Makoto's room." Kyoko began summarizing. "Sayaka was attacked in the main room first. She then fled into the bathroom."**

" **Then the killer ran after her," Mondo continued for her. "And they got into the bathroom."**

" **At that point, the killer had to try and bust down the door," Leon spoke in. "Because Sayaka had locked it."**

" **No, that's wrong!" The bullet was shot as Makoto gain the attentions of the others. "The reason my bathroom didn't open wasn't because it was locked. After all, the girls' rooms are the only ones with locking bathrooms, right?"**

"I can't believe we've forgotten about that fact." Celeste stated with an aggravated sigh. "Why didn't we think of that sooner?"

"Suspicion and fear clouds your judgement." Mukuro said quietly. "These emotions are rather common in the battlefield, mainly fear though. And it always causes soldiers to lose their cool and ability to think, ultimately leading them to their deaths."

"A-A fearfully a-accurate description." Toko said with a shiver. "That a-almost happened to our f-future selves."

" **Yes," Sakura agreed. "Now that you mentioned it, it is true."**

" **Then….why didn't your bathroom door open….?" Chihiro asked him.**

" **Because it was stuck." Makoto answered.**

" **Huh? What are you talking about?" Leon questioned, confused.**

" **My bathroom door doesn't fit in the frame quite right." Makoto explained. "Monokuma over there can testify to that."**

" **Yup! True as true can be!" Monokuma confirmed. "But ya know….you're supposed to be the Ultimate Lucky Student, right? But to have such a cruddy door…." He giggled at the thought. "That's not lucky at all!"**

' _That title is the bane of my existence.'_ Makoto mentally sighed in aggravation. People would always comment on that, and compare him to another lucky student that's currently suspended. Apparently, that student's luck is as unpredictable, but much better, than his.

"But you know, that bit of unlucky is pretty lucky, right?" Hiro mused. "I mean, if that door wasn't stuck, it would've been harder to convince everyone else that he isn't the killer, right?"

Everyone blinked and took a second to register what the clairvoyant had just said. When Hiro put that way…. "I think Hiro said something intelligent for once." Celeste said in astonishment.

"What do you know? Miracles do happens." Byakuya stated, the two comments drawing a "Hey!" from the fortune teller. "Anyways, the fool does have a point. That luck of yours seems to have worked out in your favor."

"I really do wish I know how exactly it works." Makoto moaned.

' _You're telling me.'_ Junko thought to herself. ' _Even with my analyst abilities, it's hard to predict that luck of his.'_ That both annoys her and excites her. It could stuck a wrench in her plan at any time, but at the same time, the unpredictable nature of it is just sooo exciting. Almost as much as despair's unpredictable nature.

It's a conflicting feeling, that's for sure.

 **Ignoring Monokuma, Kyoko spoke up. "So the reason the door didn't open was because it was stuck," Kyoko began explaining. "But the killer didn't know that, and assumed it was locked. So they tore apart the doorknob to get in."**

" **Okay, but then why would the killer even think the door was locked in the first place?" Celeste questioned. "Everyone should have known you can't lock any of the boys' bathrooms."**

" **The killer could've easily made that mistake, thanks to one important detail about the scene of the crime," Kyoko stated in confidence.**

 **Makoto furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "The killer must not have realized that it was my room." Makoto concluded.**

"Wait, so they didn't even know where they were?" Junko asked in disbelief. "Are you sure that it isn't Hiro? Cause it sounds like a Hiro move to me."

"Can you guys stop being mean?!"

"Well, since Sayaka was in the room and not me, it would have been an easy mistake to make." Makoto said. "So it isn't that idiotic."

"So you're saying that it's still idiotic."

"I-I didn't mean it like that!"

" **What?! Are you saying the culprit didn't even know where he was?" Hifumi exclaimed in shock. "That's….inconceivable!"**

" **And yet, he's absolutely right."**

" **SAYWHAAA?!"**

" **Well, to be more specific," Kyoko began correcting herself. "What the killer didn't know was that Makoto and Sayaka had switched rooms. Which is what led to the misunderstanding about the bathroom. If Sayaka had been in her own room, then…."**

" **Then there would have been a lock on the door, and they would've had to break through!" Taka realized.**

" **So they had no idea how unnecessary their actions were," Sakura sighed.**

" **Ultimately, we can't know if it came open by force or by pure accident," Kyoko began concluding. "The killer must have been considerably confused, with no idea as to how they actually got the door to open."**

" **Regardless," Byakuya interjected. "It was a pointless act. Wasting time trying to break down a door that wasn't locked is…."**

" **...definitely something I wouldn't do, since I would've known exactly why it wasn't opening. Right?" Makoto finished.**

" **That is….a definite possibility." Byakuya sighed reluctantly.**

"You want salt on that wound, Byakuya?" That smug question came from Sayaka. Byakuya just ignored her.

" **So the killer would have to be someone who didn't know they'd switched rooms?" Chihiro guessed.**

" **Then Makoto c-couldn't have done it…..!" Toko realized.**

"We managed to convince Toko!" Hina cheered. "If we got her convinced, then the others are definitely convinced!"

"Yes. Finally." Sayaka said in clear relief. Those damn accusations against Makoto are over now.

' _ **That's what I've been trying to tell you….'**_ **Makoto thought in exasperation and relief.**

Once again, more than a few looked away in guilt for what their future selves put Makoto through. If they're capable of pointing fingers at someone just because of circumstantial evidence, what else could they be capable of?

"After all that, you don't look pissed off at the slightest." Leon commented on. "If I were put through the ringer like that, I would pull a Mondo and curse them all three ways to Sunday."

"It's impressive, seeing Makoto keeping his cool most of the time." Kyoko complimented, also intrigued by his mental fortitude. "Most people in your shoes wouldn't have taken all of those accusations so easily."

Makoto blushed. "I wouldn't say easily," He protested. "My future self nearly panicked a couple of times."

"Yet you managed to pull yourself together," Sayaka countered. "Give yourself some credit, Makoto. You did a very good job there." Makoto blushed, especially when Sayaka gave him a kiss on the cheek and wrapping her arms around his. That drew dirty looks from Celeste, Mukuro, Kyoko, and Hina.

' _Well, at least she's feeling better for now.'_ Makoto thought, relieved and face still burning up. ' _The trial, along with some of the features, helped a lot. Thanks a lot Spirit.'_

Too bad the slightly pleasant atmosphere won't last for long.

 **And that's the end. Yeah, sorry for splitting the trials into parts, but if I tried to put it all in one chapter, it would become waaaay too long. So, you'll just have to wait for the next parts, where the class will discovered that Sayaka isn't really a complete victim in the case. Writing out Makoto's and Sayaka's reaction to that will be really fun. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **Questions and Responses section!  
Q: Makoto forgave just about everyone in the Danganronpa series, but what about Junko?  
L: It's very true that Junko has done just about everything bad in the book of evil, but do recall the ending of DR1 where he still tries to get her on the side of hope despite her crimes. While I can't say what Spirit has planned in regards to this, I'm sure that Makoto (whatever he's doing right now) has probably forgave her or at the very least, understands why she has done everything.**

 **Q: Will Junko scrap her plans before she gets to see the end game?  
L: Stay tuned! :)**


	21. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P13

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, regretfully, I had to split the trial into three parts. Part 2 of this trial will be showing the class how the killer got in, and what exactly happened in Makoto's room. They are not going to enjoy what they find out. So, I hope you enjoy their torment and despair.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Editor's Notes: Dear readers, if you received a second update within the same day, it's because I failed to notice several mistakes that still littered around the this chapter. I apologize for the sloppiness and will do my best to make sure future chapters won't have anymore errors!**

Chapter 20: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 13

" **Okay, then who did do it?!" Mondo questioned in frustration.**

" **I'm sorry, but I give up!" Hifumi declared. "Quit without saving!"**

" **But….what happens if we can't decide on who we think did it?" Chihiro asked fearfully.**

" **Well then, why don't we just vote right now?" Taka suggested. "Majority rules!"**

"Majority rules? Yeah, that's a great idea." Leon said dryly. "If we all want gamble with our lives, maybe."

"Gamble?" Celestia perked at the word.

"Don't even think about it, Celeste." Byakuya warned. "We're not in that position, anyway, so it's a mute point."

" **Majority rules? Do you really think that's a good idea?" Leon questioned.**

" **Yeah! Our necks is on the line here!" Hiro agreed with Leon. "Someone needs to do something. Seriously!"**

" **Does no one else have any other thoughts or questions?" Celeste asked everyone. "It does not matter how trivial it may seem."**

" **Oh! As a matter of fact, I do have one question!" Hina said, recalling something.**

" **Oh….you…."**

" **You don't have to sound so disappointed!"**

"Yeah! Like seriously, weren't you the one who said that it doesn't matter how trivial the questions were?" Hina complained.

"I did." Celeste confirmed. "But this is you. It's most likely the question would be completely useless." That got an angry pout from Hina.

" **It's fine, it's fine, just ask your question!" Taka told her.**

" **Oh yeah!" Hina then began her question. "Okay, so, umm….well, I was just wondering, how'd the culprit get into Makoto's room in the first place?"**

Several eyes blinked in response to the unanswered question. "Oh yeah." Taka realized. "We completely forgot about that."

"Definitely the million dollar question." Leon stated.

"See! The question is useful!" Hina said, sticking out a tongue out towards Celeste.

Makoto chuckled at his friend's childish antics. "Well, good job for addressing that Hina." That got a beam from the swimmer, along with a blush.

" **Hmm….yes, how did the killer get inside?" Sakura agreed with Hina's question.**

" **Maybe Sayaka just dropped the key somewhere and the culprit picked it up." Leon suggested. "That's possible, right?"**

" **I don't think so. That seems way too convenient." Taka disagreed.**

" **Then….maybe someone picked the lock?" Chihiro suggested.**

" **Negative!" Taka refuted. "If you remember, Monokuma made it quite clear that all the locks are all secure! Unable to be picked!"**

"Man," Junko let out a huffed. "It seems like the only way for someone to come into the room is if the person inside lets them in." She said 'sarcastically'.

"But Sayaka wouldn't do that." Makoto disagreed. "She already got scared from the attempt someone made to enter in her own room. I doubt she would let anybody in."

Kyoko sighed. The evidence and circumstances spoke for themselves: during nighttime, the only way anyone could've accessed another person's room was if the original owner opened the door in the first place. She has an inkling that Sayaka was lying about her feelings, but decided to stay silent for now. Her future self can address it.

Meanwhile, Sayaka bit her lip in concern. Her mind is back to the fact as to how the killer got in, and the bad feeling is back in her gut. Did her future self really let them in? Fear and confusion returned to gnaw at her mind as the trial continued on.

" **Fine, how about this? The killer got in the easy way." Hifumi stated. "They could've knocked and said they wanted to talk or something, and Miss Maizono just….let 'em in!"**

" **No, that can't be it, either." Makoto disagreed.**

" **O-ho! Trying to argue against me?" Hifumi inquired dramatically. "Sounds like somebody doesn't know his place! Hello?! Why, exactly, can't that be it?!"**

" **Because Sayaka was already scared, remember?" Makoto reminded him. "That's why she asked me to switch rooms in the first place. Knowing what she'd been through, I just can't believe she would have opened the door for anyone."**

" **...What if her being scared was a lie?" Kyoko suddenly suggested.**

"What?" Makoto was taken aback by the suggestion. "L-Lying?! Why would she lie about that?"

"Yeah! She did seem pretty scared back at the time!" Hina added.

"Maybe, but there's no other way to get into someone's room other than them opening the door for in the first place." Kyoko said. "Since it's nighttime, and considering the promise we have all made, the chances of seeing someone else not in their room is slim, so stealing the key from them is out of question. Also, if someone was truly scared, they'll be on even higher alert, and opportunities like these wouldn't rise."

Makoto still couldn't believe that Sayaka would lie to him. It just doesn't seem possible. "Sayaka," He said to her hesitantly. "What do you think? Do you….think your future self is lying?"

Sayaka bit her lip and avoided the eye contact in an attempt to hide the conflict written all over her face. "We'll….let just see if there's any proof of that." She finally said, not wanting to think about it.

" **...Huh?" Makoto was taken aback at the suggestion before his shock turned to anger. "Wh-What the hell was that supposed to mean?! Why would she lie about something like that?!"**

" **I know you don't want to consider it, but look at this and tell me….can you still deny the possibility?" Kyoko then held up a note shaded in pencil, revealing imprints of words. "I found a notepad during my search, and I shaded in the top sheet with a pencil. These were the words that appeared as a result."**

" **There's something I want to talk to you about, just us two."** **Makoto read to himself. "In five minutes, come see me in my room. Check the nameplates to make sure you don't get the wrong room, okay?"**

Celeste cocked an eyebrow. "You detectives still do these kinds of tricks?"

"While it is one of the oldest tricks in the book, it still has its uses." Kyoko answered. "As you can see."

"Still, even if it's old, it's still pretty cool! Made me careful when I write in notebooks!" Hina stated.

Meanwhile, Sayaka looked at the note with trepidation. Did….she write that? Where did Kyoko find it?

 **Just as he finished reading, Hina spoke up. "Oh man, I've totally seen people do that on detective shows! When you write on a notepad, it can still leave an imprint on the next page. Sketch over that next sheet of paper, and you can see the original words! When I saw that, I was like 'Holy crap! I better make sure I rip the paper out before I use it from now on!'"**

"I know, right future me?" Hina agreed with her future self, causing some smiles of amusements to come her way.

" **It's a pretty old fashioned technique, but even the classics can be surprisingly useful sometimes." Kyoko stated. "Oh, and I should also mention….I found that notepad on the desk in Makoto's room."**

Makoto's and Sayaka's eyes widened. "M-my room?" Makoto repeated. "But we haven't seen myself write a note of any sort!"

"So Sayaka must have wrote it after the switch." Byakuya deduced. "Which supports Kyoko's proposition that Sayaka was lying."

"But, why would she lie about that?" Makoto questioned, a bit distressed. He turned to the blue-haired girl. "Sayaka, do you have a clue why?"

"I….don't really know." Was all Sayaka could say, still refusing to look at him. The possibility of her luring someone out to kill them, and then to frame Makoto….she couldn't believe that. She doesn't want to believe that. But she wasn't stupid. The evidence spoke for itself, and seeing more and more of the puzzle pieces come together just made the feeling in her stomach that much worse.

" **Huh?" Makoto said in surprise.**

" **Which means, only someone who had been in Makoto's room before the incident could have written it." Kyoko stated.**

" **Then it was either Makoto, who lived there, or Sayaka, who switched rooms for a single night…." Byakuya deduced.**

" **So, Makoto," Kyoko turned the luckster. "Did you write this?"**

" **N-No, I didn't. But-"**

" **Of course you didn't." Kyoko interrupted. "Because the note also bears a perfectly legible signature - Sayaka's signature."**

Sayaka shifted a little in her seat, her arms slowly loosening their grip on Makoto's arm. Though he didn't notice it, the hard evidence and the turn of events are definitely hammering away at her mind.

"But why write that letter?" Makoto asked, frowning. "Who was it for?"

"Most likely it was her killer that she was trying to contact." Byakuya mused. "For what, we have yet to know for certain."

" **The note was most likely her way of getting in touch with a certain someone." Kyoko theorized. "She must have slid it under the door to let them know she wanted to meet them in secret."**

" **If you got an invitation like that from the Ultimate Pop Sensation, what young man could resist?" Hifumi stated. "Of course, I'm only into 2D so it wouldn't have any effect on me!"**

"Yeah, right." Leon rolled his eyes, clearly not believing Hifumi. "You would jump at the invitation."

"I would not! I am not a 3D lover like yourself!"

"Guys, now's not the time to argue about this." Makoto pleaded to them as he noticed how uncomfortable Sayaka looked. He can tell that, while she's somewhat used to it, she doesn't particularly like it when guys are fantasizing or talking about her like that.

" **...But can we be sure that someone has actually received this note?" Celeste questioned everyone. "And honestly, even if they did, I do not think they are at all involved in what happened."**

"What makes the future Celeste confident in that?" Mukuro turned to the gothic dressed gambler. "Do you know?"

"I have a guess, but I will allow my future self to explain." Was all Celeste said.

" **Huh? What makes you say that?" Chihiro inquired.**

" **Hmhm….would you like to hear what I have to say?" Celeste rhetorically asked. "Very well, then. Pay attention!" With that, the non stop debate started up once again.**

 **Celeste began explaining her reasoning. "Sayaka and Makoto switched rooms, correct?" Celeste rhetorically asked, the words popping up on the screen as she vocalized each one. "But in the note, the place they were asked to come to specifically said, 'my' room."**

" **I see," Chihiro said in realization. "So if someone read that note, then they would have gone to Sayaka's room!"**

"I see," Taka said with a frown. "That does make some sense."

" **Exactly." Celeste stated with a nod. "The room that Makoto was staying in."**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **A** **bullet shattered the words on the screen as Makoto spoke up once more. "The nameplates on our rooms were switched as well."**

Again, Makoto's objection has surprised multiple people. "They were switched?" Leon asked.

"But how come none of us noticed it?" Hina asked in confusion.

"Probably because we were too busy trying to process everything else." Kyoko deduced. "And the camera wasn't angled to where it was glaringly obvious."

" **They got….switched?" Celeste said in surprise.**

" **That's right." Kyoko confirmed. A flashback of Makoto looking at the nameplates was shown. "The nameplates were switched, just like the rooms themselves. As a result, the nameplate on Sayaka's room actually had Makoto's name, and the nameplate on Makoto's room has Sayaka's."**

" **So what you're saying is, the room Sayaka was staying in, was actually marked as her room." Byakuya deduced.**

" **Then," Chihiro spoke up. "If someone did do what the note said, they would end up at Makoto's room and therefore, where Sayaka was."**

" **Plus, the rooms were right next to each other." Kyoko added in. "So switching the nameplates would be no problem."**

"And the only one who could've switched was Sayaka." Mukuro finished as she pieced everything together. "Makoto and Sayaka were the only ones who knew about the switch, and it's obvious to us that Makoto didn't do it."

"But….why would we she do that?" Hina questioned, frowning. "What was she doing?"

"We would have to watch more of it to get a better understanding." Kyoko said. She of course knew what Sayaka was planning now, but most of the others, especially Makoto, wouldn't accept it unless they figure it out themselves.

Sayaka tightened her loosened grip on Makoto's arm, anxiety filled in her eyes. There's more and more evidence that….that she was deceiving Makoto. That she was planning to kill someone. Did she really have the capacity to do such things? Would….would she really sacrifice Makoto, of all people, for her dreams?

"Sayaka?" Makoto turned to the her as he felt her grip tighten on his arm. "I'm guessing you're just as confused about this as we are?"

"Y-Yeah…." She said, eyes facing forward. While it isn't a lie, it wasn't the complete truth.

"Don't worry. I'm….I'm sure everything will be explained." Makoto tried to reassure her, though he still looked lost himself. Sayaka bit her lip, praying to anyone listening that it wasn't what she's thinking.

" **And the one who switched the names was," She turned to Makoto once again. "Well of course it wasn't you, right Makoto?"**

" **R-Right…."**

" **Okay….then who did it?" Leon inquired.**

 **Reluctantly, Makoto spoke up. "Sayaka and I were the only ones who ever knew about us switching rooms." He explained to everyone. "So the only other person besides me who would even know to switch the nameplates….was Sayaka."**

" **You can also infer as much from her notes," Kyoko brought up the note once again. "She specifically told the recipient to check the nameplates. She would only have written that if she knew the name plates would have been switched."**

" **But….why would she switch them in the first place?" Chihiro asked.**

" **She wanted someone to come into the room she was in, and also hide the fact that it was Makoto's room." Kyoko stated.**

" **What?" Said a shocked Makoto.**

" **Inviting someone to your room, but not telling them you'd switched rooms," Hina summarized. "Why would anyone do that?"**

' _...To lure them into a trap.'_ Byakuya deduced. ' _And depending on who attacked first will reveal Sayaka's true intentions.'_ Unfortunately, he forgot a few details of the investigation. In future investigations and trials, if any, he'll need to pay more attention to certain details.

" **To understand that, we first need to understand what happened after she invited the person into the room." Kyoko said. "That's where the truth lies…."**

Several of them tensed a little. Here they go. They're about to find out what exactly transpired in the room. Kyoko glanced over at Makoto worriedly once more. She had no doubts that Makoto wouldn't take it well. She couldn't even guess what his reaction to it would be. Her eyes then fell onto Sayaka who sat opposite of Makoto. She seemed to have figured out most of what has happened but judging from her own facial reactions, she too, was having trouble accepting it. Kyoko gripped her seat handle as she braced herself for the aftermath; it was going to get ugly.

"Man, this trial is getting more and more confusing by the minute." Hiro complained. "Why can't the killer just come out and explain everything?"

"Cause they would be killed, simpleton." Byakuya said with an eye roll. "Would you reveal every detail of what happened if you were the killer?"

That shut Hiro up with a gulp.

"I thought so."

" **What happened then was…..probably," Taka began musing. "Whoever she invited over….came in, and….attacked her! We figured it out! We know who did it! Whoever she invited over is the culprit!"**

Cue facepalms. "But we don't know who that is yet." Byakuya said, slightly irritated. "We figured out the situation, not the person who was in that situation!"

Taka ducked his head in embarrassment. Okay, his future self is getting a bit too excited about this.

" **But we still don't know who it is, ya goddamn idiot." Mondo said, slightly aggravated.**

" **Sayaka fought with her killer in the room, yes?" Celeste inquired rhetorically. "Perhaps the answer question lies in that initial struggle."**

" **Yes, I think you're right." Kyoko agreed.**

" **Then….we just have to figure out what happened during the fight, right?!" Hina asked.**

" **Which reminds me….there was a replica sword at the murder scene." Sakura remembered. "Was that perhaps used in the fight?"**

" **Oh yeah, what's the deal with that sword?" Mondo asked.**

" **Sayaka suggested I hold onto it." Makoto told them. "I thought it might come in handy if I had to defend myself….it seems pretty likely that the killer used it to break Sayaka's right wrist."**

"How does he know that?" Hiro asked in confusion.

Makoto narrowed his eyes in thought. "If I remember correctly, there was a bit of gold coating on her wrist." Makoto answered. "That's a good indication that it was the sword that broke her wrist."

"Good memory there, Makoto." Kyoko praised, getting a small blush from the luckster.

" **How the hell could you possibly know that's what broke her wrist?!" Leon questioned.**

" **All you have to do is take a good look at her broken wrist and it should become pretty clear." Makoto answered, getting on his E-Handbook. He showed them a picture of the broken wrist. "Right there where her wrist is all swollen, there's something glittery there, see?"**

" **Is...is that gold?" Chihiro asked.**

" **It sure is." Makoto confirmed. "Specifically, the gold coating from the replica sword. You barely have to touch that stuff and it'll stick right to you. And there's some on her wrist because…."**

" **I've got it! Because she got hit with the sword, right there on her wrist!" Taka answered.**

" **I see, I see," Hifumi said mysteriously. "And so the truth draws ever closer…."**

" **Alright! Then it's about time to solve this mystery!" Hiro declared.**

Celeste giggled disdainfully. "As if you could actually figure out what happened, let alone who the killer is."

"I so could do it!"

"Then explain to us why you're still in school with us?" Byakuya shot back. That got Hiro to shut up once more.

 **The non-stop debate started up again, this time with Hiro. "When the fighting broke out," The fortune teller murmured. "The culprit grabbed the sword and that's when the first blow was dealt! A sword based sneak attack!"**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **The bullet was shot and Makoto spoke up once more. "Actually, no." The luckster disagreed. "I don't think the fight started with the sword."**

" **Huh? Why not?" Hiro asked in confusion.**

" **Because the sword sheath has been scratched." Makoto answered. He turned on his E-Handbook and showed them the sword. "See? There's a gash on it, like someone cut into it with something sharp."**

" **Something sharp….you mean, like the kitchen knife?" Chihiro inquired. "That was the only sharp thing found at the scene."**

" **Stop jumpin' ahead!" Mondo demanded. "Slow down and explain it so I get what the hell's goin' on?!"**

"Yeah!" Mondo agreed with his future self. "What the hell happened?"

Makoto was the one to answered. "The knife must've been used first, with the sword being used to block." He told the biker. "Otherwise, there's no explanation as to how the sheathe has been scratched."

"I doubt someone would attack with the sheathe still on." Mukuro said. "But using it to defend, especially on instinct, is much more likely."

" **If the sword was used first, there wouldn't be any explanation for the scratch on the sheath." Makoto explained. "If you were to attack someone with the sword, you'd take it out of the sheathe first, right?"**

" **That's true." Mondo agreed. "With the sheathe on, it'd be heavy and bulky and useless as shit."**

" **Okay, so how did the sheath get damaged?" Hifumi inquired.**

" **If they got attacked with the kitchen knife, maybe they grabbed the sword as a defensive impulse." Kyoko answered. "In that case, there wouldn't be any time to actually unsheathe the sword since you're under attack."**

" **So you're saying the sword was initially used to defend against an attack from the knife," Sakura deduced.**

" **Which means whoever had the kitchen knife….was the one who attacked first!" Hifumi stated.**

' _So who was the one who attacked first?'_ Sayaka thought in turmoil. ' _Was it my killer? Did... did….I attack first?'_ She shook her head. ' _I-I'll find out soon! Maybe I'm wrong! Maybe something different happened?'_ Despite her last thoughts, a part of her still disagreed with them, all the more making her uncomfortable.

" **I think I get it! So here's how it all played out," Taka began summarizing the possible event. "The culprit came in, found the kitchen knife hidden there somewhere, then they took it and attacked Sayaka before she knew what was happening! So she grabbed the sword to defend herself, but then the culprit took that from her too! Then, after they broke her wrist with the sword….they took the knife and….finished it…."**

Junko rolled her eyes. "That was an extremely poor display of logic. It doesn't even flow well!" The fashionista said.

"I agree. I don't think that's what happened." Kyoko agreed with the fashionista. "And I'm sure my future self feels the same way."

"Why not?" Sayaka demanded, a part of her wanting to latch onto that story. "I mean, the knife was the weapon used to kill me right?"

"True," Kyoko agreed. "Let our future selves explain why."

" **Sorry, but I don't think Sayaka used the sword to defend herself." Kyoko interjected.**

" **Wh-?! How the hell can you not think that?!" Leon demanded.**

" **Because she never held the sword at all." Kyoko answered. "There's a certain part of her body that makes this clear."**

" **You're talking about her palms, right?" Makoto clarified. "The palms of her hands were perfectly clean, so I don't think she ever picked up the sword…."**

" **How can you know that just by looking at her palms?" Hina asked.**

" **Like I said before, the gold coating on that sword comes right off." Makoto answered. "All you have to do is touch it. In fact, if you look at it, you'll notice that a lot of the gold has already came off the handle. It's safe to assume that that's because whoever used the sword got some of it on their hands. There's really no way she could have picked it up and come away completely clean."**

Sayaka sagged and dipped her head at that. Well, there's go that theory. Makoto looked over at her again.

"Sayaka, what's wrong?" He asked her. "Well, what else is wrong, I mean?" She smiled weakly.

"N-Nothing. Just….a bit disappointed that we haven't figure out the whole story yet." She said, still looking at the floor and trying to hide how she's really feeling. Makoto frowned in concern, but let it go for right now.

" **Maybe she w-washed her hands after she escaped into the bathroom…." Toko suggested.**

Cue facepalms. "Really?" Leon asked in disbelief. "You're about to get murdered, and the first thing you think about is washing your hands? Yeah, I'll take that advice the next time a murderer is after me."

"N-No one asked you!" Toko hissed at him.

" **Sorry, but I don't think so." Makoto disagreed.**

" **Why d-do you say that? Is it b-because you think I'm u-ugly….?" Toko accused.**

 **Makoto was taken aback at the accusation. "N-No, that's not it at all!" He protested. "According to the Monokuma File, Sayaka's time of death was around 1:30 a.m. In other words, at 'nighttime'. And the water in the bathrooms shuts off at night time, right?"**

" **Oh….I didn't know that." Toko admitted. "Actually….I haven't taken a shower here yet…."**

That got plenty of disgusted and queasy looks. "Toko," Makoto turned to the writing prodigy. "Please tell me you've taken a shower recently."

"Um….well…." Toko looked away at the question, causing everyone to slightly push their seats away from the writer, even the ones in couches managed to do so. "W-What? I-Is it wrong not to b-bathe for a while?"

"Yes! Yes, it's most certainly wrong!" Taka stated, turning a bit green.

"Sakura, Hina," Byakuya looked at the most active girls in the classroom. "At the next break, you will force Toko into a shower, until every bit of dirt is off of her. Am I clear?" That got Toko frightened a bit.

Hina huffed at the commanding tone. "Fine!"

"We will make sure she gets a proper shower." Sakura agreed.

" **Oh my," Hifumi groaned, backing away from her a little.**

" **Y-You're no different!" Toko hissed. "You s-smell like a big f-fat ugly donkey!"**

" **Hmm?" Was Hifumi's response. "I'm not sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment!"**

" **An insult, obviously…." Leon said incredulously.**

"In what fucking universe is that a compliment?" Mondo asked incredulously.

"In the world of Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess, my friend!" Hifumi declared.

"...Let's not try to make sense of this blasphemy." Byakuya sighed. "I have a big enough headache as it is."

" **...So anyway," Taka went back to to the conversation at hand. "If Sayaka never touched the sword, then that means the killer was the only one who used the sword."**

" **But hold on." Taka said, processing the new information. "If that's right, then the one who damaged the sheath with the kitchen knife was…."**

 **Makoto's eyes widened in shock and realization. "Sayaka?" He breathed out. "She had the kitchen knife?"**

" **But," Chihiro said in confusion. "We already said that the attack started with…."**

" **The person with the knife attacked first, and the sword was used as an impromptu defense." Byakuya summarized.**

" **Then the one who attacked first was….!" Hifumi realized in shock.**

" **...S-Sayaka?!" Makoto exclaimed in pure shock.**

"S-She attacked first?!" Makoto questioned, just as shocked as his future self.

Several of the others are shocked at this as well, and soon, all eyes fell onto the Ultimate Pop Sensation herself.

Sayaka's eyes are also just as wide with both shock and horror, but for a completely different reason. She….she was the one who attacked first. She tried to murder someone.

"B-But why?" Chihiro asked, near tears. "Why did she attack someone?"

"I think you have a guess as to why." Byakuya sighed.

" **Now do you understand? She wasn't a blameless victim in all of this." Kyoko stated.**

" **No, far from it." Byakuya agreed. "It's almost as if….she had been planning to commit a murder of her own."**

"Murder?!" Hina had her mouth covered at this. "She was planning to murder?!"

"No, no that can't be right!" Taka denied. "Sayaka, of all people, committing murder?"

"Taka's right!" Makoto agreed, not wanting to believe his friend was planning to kill. "Sayaka….she wouldn't do that!"

"And yet, the evidence points to that." Byakuya sighed. "Taking the knife from the kitchen, making that note, switching the nameplates….it all points to her making plans to kill someone." Makoto looked sick at this.

Celeste, Kyoko, and Byakuya didn't bother to point out the other definite possibility. None of them want to break that news to Makoto, despite their personalities.

' _ **What?'**_ **Makoto thought in shock.**

" **She took the knife from the kitchen, then invited the culprit to the room she was staying in." Byakuya began summarizing. "And if it's true that she already had the kitchen knife and attacked without provocation…."**

" **Indeed….these are all actions of an assailant." Sakura deduced.**

" **Which brings up another point," Celeste spoke up. "Makoto, Sayaka was the one who suggested you two to switch rooms, correct? Maybe the reason she wanted to switch rooms was so that she could pin the crime on you. That is a possibility, is it not?"**

"W-W-What?!" Makoto exclaimed, his eyes getting even wider. "P-Pin the crime on me?!"

Kyoko sighed. "That's the only possibility as to why she would have wanted to switch rooms." Kyoko stated.

"As well as the lie she told." Celeste added in, not letting any emotion show. Though really, she's very angry at the future Sayaka for what she attempted to do. "I know when someone is lying, and Sayaka was definitely lying when she told that story."

"So she was using him?" Mukuro hissed, a hand near one of her knives subconsciously.

Sayaka covered her mouth in horror, tears swelling up in her eyes. She was just as shocked as everyone else when she found out she had the capacity to do what she had done. She wanted to deny it, deny the possibility that she tried to frame him for murder….but with all the evidence pointing to it, there was little she could do.

" **Sayaka wanted to- on me?!" That shock the luckster's feeling increased even higher.**

 **Kyoko stayed silent at this, looking away. Celeste spoke up once more. "That would also explain why she would switch the nameplates. She wanted to get whoever she had targeted to come to Makoto's room, where she was staying, and by committing the murder there, instead of her room, that would incriminate Makoto.**

" **But for that to work, the target had to be lured out while still keeping the room swap a secret." Celeste continued. "If the target knew she had switched rooms, they would have became suspicious right away."**

" **So that's why she switched the names?" Mondo inquired.**

" **But doesn't that plan seems a little risky?" Hifumi questioned. "For one thing, even if her plan worked, Mr. Naegi would just tell everyone they'd switched rooms."**

"Yeeaaa-no." Junko stated. "Makoto wouldn't easily rat out a friend like that."

"And the future Sayaka knew that all too well." Sakura said, clenching her fist as she was dealing with conflicted feelings.

" **I don't know," Byakuya said doubtfully. "I'm not sure our softhearted Makoto is capable of that kind of cutthroat behavior. I'm sure Sayaka realized the same thing, which is why out of all of us, she asked him to switch rooms."**

 **Makoto stayed silent, confliction clear on his face. Toko spoke up. "P-Plus….she was the Ultimate Pop Sensation," She reminded them. "A t-totally forgettable kid kid, o-or a national superstar….who are you m-more likely to believe?"**

" **Wait then….you're saying she had this all planned?" Hifumi inquired in shock.**

" **Holy shit!" Mondo cursed, also shocked.**

"W-Wait! This can't be true! It just can't!" Makoto protested. "Maybe….maybe we could look at the investigation again! See what we missed! I….can't believe that Sayaka would be willing to betray me like that!" He turned to Sayaka. "Don't you agree Sayaka? Don't you think there's something missing?"

Sayaka finally slowly turned to Makoto, her eyes conveying so many different messages to him. She really wanted to say that there's a mistake, that this all wasn't possible….but she knew that she would just be lying to herself.

Byakuya sighed. "Even if it was possible to check, it would be a pointless endeavor." Byakuya said firmly. "There's no evidence to be found, and everything we did find pointed to Sayaka being the first to attack. There's nothing that would prove otherwise."

"B-But-!"

"Makoto," Kyoko said softly. She hated to do this, to break this to Makoto, but she can't let him be in denial. "Can you remember the moments where Sayaka acted strange? Where she showed that she wasn't her usual self?"

Makoto furrowed his brows as he recalled those moments. Now that Kyoko mentioned it….he remembered Sayaka was acting odd. Right after seeing the motives, she went into a breakdown. The most unusual part of it….was how much emotion she was showing.

Was she….was she using him the entire time? Ever since the motives? " _I need you by my side…."_ Was what Sayaka said. That was all an act?

Sayaka choked back a sob at the betrayed look in his eyes and face. She closed her eyes and turned away, along with loosening her arms around his.

" **But in the end, her plan backfired." Celeste stated, the video continuing. "She launched her attack with the knife, then found herself under attack in return. That must be when her wrist got broken, and she was forced to drop the knife."**

" **The tables were suddenly turned on her, and she died at the hands of the one she'd planned to murder," Sakura concluded softly.**

" **J-Just hold on! That can't be true!" Makoto protested. "Because….! Because….."**

" **Hey, hey! You guys have totally derailed the argument!" Monokuma interrupted. "You're being super boring right now! Come on, hurry up and decide who did it! Wouldn't it be awful if I had to punish you all just because you ran out of time?!"**

"Oh, right. We still need to find out which one of us killed Sayaka." Leon said, getting out of his shocked state for a moment.

"They'll need to focus on the trial, especially Makoto." Kyoko sighed. She turned to the shell-shocked boy sympathetically, trying not to wince at the amount of emotions in his eyes. "You should too, Makoto. Keep your mind off of what we found for now."

Makoto looked at Kyoko for a moment before silently nodding. The luckster softly got his arm out of Sayaka's arms, slightly shocking the girl and also making her feel more vulnerable. She silently clutched the bow on her uniform as her tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

' _What did you expect?'_ A voice whispered in her head. ' _Him_ _continuing to being close with you? To keep trusting you for what your future self did? He can't even look at you right now.'_

" **Oh yea….we gotta decide on who we think did it…." Hiro remembered.**

 **Makoto stayed silent, confliction clearly on his face. Kyoko spoke up. "Makoto, right now you just need to concentrate on figuring out the answer to this mystery. If we can't uncover who murdered Sayaka, it's over for all of us…."**

' _ **Is….is it really all over?'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **Obviously I'm committed to finding out who killed her, but what can I do? I mean, as far as clues go….there's nothing left.'**_

"Seriously?" Hiro asked, feeling a bit scared for his future self. "There's nothing at all?"

"No, there is something." Kyoko stated, crossing her arms as she focused her attention to the screen. "Something I bet my future self or Makoto will figure out."

' _ **Wait a minute….'**_ **Makoto thought, remembering something.** ' _ **There is one more clue….'**_ **As he thought that, the non-stop debate started up, this time, stopping on Leon.**

" **It's easy just to say, 'Hey, decide who did it!'" The baseball player stated. "But there just aren't any more clues, right?"**

" **No, that's wrong!" The bullet was shot as Makoto said up. "There might still be one clue left - Sayaka's dying message."**

" **Dining-wait, what did you say?" Leon questioned.**

" **The dying message." Kyoko repeated. "She wrote something on the wall behind her, remember? 11037, written in her own blood. There must be a clue about the killer hidden in there…."**

"Oh yeah, those numbers Sayaka wrote." Hifumi remembered. "But what message could that convey?"

"It has to be something. Otherwise, she wouldn't have wrote it." Taka said. "Some kind of hidden message."

" **Well, before we get too far into that, I need to ask," Celeste spoke up. "Can we really be sure that Sayaka is the one who wrote it?"**

" **Her left index finger had blood on it." Makoto said. "That could only be because she used that finger to write the message."**

" **I see….she broke her right wrist during the fight, so she'd have to use her left hand to write…." Taka recalled.**

" **Sure, I think we can all agree Sayaka wrote it, but still," Hina spoke in. "What the heck do those numbers mean? 11037?"**

" **Hey Chihiro, you're a computer nerd or whatever, right?" Mondo asked the programmer. "You should know all about numbers and shit!"**

" **N-No, that's not," Chihiro stammered, but quickly got her words. "Yes, I'm a programmer, but I don't see any kind of meaning in these numbers."**

" **...Of course." Kyoko said. "It's because they're not numbers."**

"Not numbers? Then what the hell are they?" Mondo questioned.

"Well, maybe I'm wrong, but those two 1s seems more like an N to me." Junko 'suggested', pretending to narrow her eyes at the screen. "Oh yeah, definitely an N." ' _Aha! So that's what transpired! Ooooh boy this is going to be so despairingly wonderful!'_ She thought in glee as she pieced everything together.

"Is it because of those two diagonal lines?" Hifumi inquired.

"Correct my chubby little peasant!" Junko stated, getting into her royal persona. "I shall reward you five acres of land for that correct answer!"

"Now's not the time to play around Junko." Taka chastised the fashionista, oblivious to her grin that's wider than humanly possible.

" **Oh!" Hifumi then saw something, looking on his E-Handbook. "Yeah, it looks like…."**

" **Huh? What? What?!" Mondo demanded.**

" **No, it's just….look at the numbers again, but don't think that they're numbers." Hifumi advised them. "Doesn't the first two numbers, 11, look less like two numbers and more like one letter?"**

" **Ah, you're right!" Chihiro realized. "The connecting line is barely there, so I assumed it was 11, but looking at it now, you could also read it as an N!"**

" **Woah! You might've finally just said something worth a shit!" Mondo complimented the progammer.**

 **Hifumi let out an evil laughter. "Our little grey cells are really getting excited now!"**

"Yes! We are close to solving this mystery!" Hifumi let out an evil laughter.

Chihiro leaned towards Mondo. "Um, shouldn't we remind him that if we find the killer, then they'll get killed?"

"Nah." The biker shook his head. "The fatso will remember soon."

" **But even if that really is an N, 'N037' doesn't make any more sense than before…." Sakura sighed.**

"Unfortunately, that's true." Hina sighed. "I couldn't even begin as to how to figure who killed Sayaka with that."

"Noel? Maybe?" Hiro tried.

Meanwhile, Makoto, Byakuya, and Celeste went to figuring out the clue. ' _Wait a minute….'_ Makoto began thinking. ' _If I rotate it, then….'_

' _...It will reveal the killer's name.'_ Byakuya thought.

' _And the name written on that wall,'_ Celeste unknowingly continued on the thinking processes. ' _Is none other than….'_

' _...Leon?'_ Makoto thought, his eyes wide with horror. ' _He's the one who killed Sayaka?….or rather, who Sayaka tried to kill?'_

 **Makoto thought about the numbers.** ' _ **Let's see….the 0 more look like an O….maybe if I rotate it….'**_ **His eyes widen in realization. "Oh my god….now I see! She wrote down the killer's name…."**

"Woah! You shot past the clue and right to who did it!" Hina exclaimed in shock.

"W-Wow. T-The killer's name? C-Clever." Toko admitted.

"But whose name is it?" Taka asked, both eager and nervous at the same time, mostly the latter. "Makoto, did you figure it out?"

"You'll….you'll see." Makoto said, not willing to say it.

" **Huh?!" Hina exclaimed. "You just shot past the clue part and right on to who did it!"**

" **So wh-who's name did sh-she write….?" Toko questioned.**

" **The key to solving this mystery was simply to rotate the writing 180 degrees." Makoto stated, turning the E-Handbook in his hands that direction. "If you consider the circumstances in which she wrote that message, then by turning the message upside down, it becomes the letters L-E-O-N. L-E-O-N….or more accurately, Leon!"**

"H-Huh?!" Leon was startled when he heard his name. "U-Um, did I just heard wrong? Did they say, 'Leon'?"

The others who had yet to figure it out was also shocked. "No, you didn't heard wrong, dude." Mondo regretfully informed him. "That was your name."

Leon turned pale in shock, his blood running cold. "W-Woah woah woah! Wait! What? I-It must be a coincidence! Maybe they got it wrong, or something!" There's no way he would kill Sayaka….there's no way she would've chose, him, of all people, to kill.

Sayaka, meanwhile, is shivering in fear, her tears silently cascading down her eyes. Not only did her future self try to frame Makoto for murder….but the one she was planning to murder was none other than her inspiring rockstar friend, Leon.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and that I continued doing well on their reactions. It was pretty hard to do the reactions for this part, so I hope it's dramatic enough, but still keeping them in character. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **Questions and inQuiries section again!  
Q: Will it be too long if you're doing all the cases?  
L: Well, we've hit chapter 21 and this is only trial 2/3. I'm probably expecting somewhere around 23 chapters per Danganronpa chapter so, this will likely grow into a 100+ chapter fic in total.**

 **Q: Will Ryoko and Matsuda be a part of this fic? And will Junko be fixing the tragedy?  
S & L: There are no plans to add Ryoko and Matsuda into this fic. As for the second part of this question, stay tuned! :)**

 **Q:Where in the Danganronpa timeline does this fiction lie in?  
S: This fic takes place before Junko starts the tragedy.  
**

 **L: If you want a more specific mark, I'd say a safe place to put this is after Junko and Mukuro reconcile at the airport in DR:3 Despair Arc, but before they start any of their despair stuff.** **t in DR:3 Despair Arc, but before they start any of their despair stuff.**


	22. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P14

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, this chapter will have the class watching Makoto and Kyoko prove that Leon is the killer, as well as the execution of Leon Kuwata. By the way, just so you know, the post execution scene will not be on here. I wanted to finish the class trial, complete chapter 1 with this chapter, but it was getting too long when I tried to put in the post execution scene. So, the last part of chapter 1 will be combined with the break chapter. I hope none of you will mind that.**

 **So, with that info out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Editor's notes: Hey guys, this chapter should've been up at least a couple of days ago but I haven't been very responsible lately so I apologize for the slightly delayed chapter. Regardless, enjoy!**

Chapter 21: Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 14

" **Wh-?!" At the mention of his name, Leon turned very pale. "What the hell are you talking about?! I-It's just a coincidence! It's just a bunch of random squiggles that happened to look like my name!"**

" **No, it's not random at all." Kyoko countered. "She wrote that message on the wall behind her as she was leaning up against it. In that position, she couldn't move to write normally, and had to write upside down, as it were. And as a result, when you look at it standing in front of her, it ends up getting flipped. Try it for yourself, if you want. Write something sitting like her, and the letters will be inverted."**

" **Th-That sounds like one hell of a stretch to me!" Leon stated. "I'm the killer?! You can't just go around and say shit like that!"**

"Y-Yeah!" Leon quickly agreed with his future self. "The message being my name is just a theory, not a fact! Maybe….maybe Sayaka was trying to write someone else's name and messed up!"

"But none of our names matches up with what's written on the wall." Chihiro hesitantly pointed out. "The only one it matches, is you."

Before Leon could defend himself further, Kyoko spoke up. "Besides, if it wasn't you, then it wouldn't explain why your future self tried to destroy the evidence."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Leon asked her, confused.

"You'll see. I'm sure my future self will address it." Kyoko said.

" **If you're not the killer, then why did you try to destroy the evidence?" Kyoko countered.**

" **...Huh?" Was Leon's response.**

 **Makoto had an idea as to what she's referring to. "You mean….the burnt piece of fabric I found laying on the ground next to the incinerator, right?"**

 **Kyoko nodded. "As the killer stabbed Sayaka, they must have gotten some of their blood on them." She deduced. "And to dispose of the shirt covered in the victim's blood, they threw it into the incinerator."**

" **But one piece burned off and got left behind…." Celeste noted.**

" **And the killer didn't notice. If they had, they most certainly would have panicked." The camera switched to the nervous looking Leon. "Isn't that right, Leon?"**

 **That got the baseball player paler. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-?!"**

"H-H-Hold on, a lot of us also wear white shirts like mine!" Leon protested. "Look at Byakuya, Chihiro, Hifumi….they all have similar white shirts!"

"That's true." Taka said, not sure how to feel right now. His emotions are jumbled up right now at the revelation of Sayaka's attempt at murder. "A piece of fabric can't conclude that he's guilty."

"Maybe, but there are other reasons why Leon is the most likely the suspect." Kyoko said. "Some of you may have seen it or figured it out already."

" **But is one scrap of fabric enough to conclude that Leon is guilty?" Sakura questioned.**

" **Yeah," Chihiro agreed. "I mean, Leon's not the only one wearing a white-button up shirt…."**

" **Th-That's right!" Leon agreed with quickly. "There are plenty of other people here with shirts like mine! With just that one charred piece, there's no way you can say for sure who it belongs to!"**

" **You're right. That alone isn't enough." Makoto said. "But there are some other points that may reveal the truth…."**

"What other points? There isn't anything else!" Leon exclaimed, getting a bit angry and scared.

Makoto winced. "I'm sorry man, but there are other pieces of evidence that our future selves didn't show yet….evidence that will point to you as the killer."

"B-But I can't be killer! I just can't!" Leon protested. Clearly, he was slowly losing his grip on himself as the truth continued to slowly expose itself.

Sayaka had to look away from Leon, his reaction becoming to painful to watch. ' _I'm sorry Leon. I'm so sorry.'_

" **...Are you finally starting to understand?" Kyoko asked him. "The answers to all the riddles are right here."**

" **Yeah, I think so," Makoto confirmed. "If we look closely at how the shirt was disposed of, we should be able to figure out who the killer is."**

" **O-Oh yeah….that's a good point. I think I know what you're going to say," Leon spoke up, slightly relieved. "You can't reach the incinerator without opening the gate in the trash room, right? And obviously you wouldn't be able to hit the switch to turn it on, either. You need the key to get in. And the one with the key was….the person on cleaning duty! So the killer had to be whoever was in charge of taking care of the trash!**

 **Hifumi laughed at that. "Interesting…." It took a few seconds for the fanfic creator to process the accusation made. "...Gweh?!"**

"Before you panic Hifumi, remember that we already talked about the possibility of you being the killer," Celeste pointed out, stopping the panic before it could happen. "The evidence would've been better destroyed if the one on cleaning duty is the killer."

Hifumi sighed in relief. Leon, however, was the opposite. "W-Well, how else could somebody turn the incinerator on and destroy the evidence? There isn't any other way to open it!"

"Actually, there is." Byakuya stated, remembering another piece of evidence seen in the trash room. "You'll see what it is soon."

" **Hold on!" Makoto exclaimed. "I think I know how someone could dispose of the evidence without using the key to the trash room!"**

" **But if you can't get pass the gate, you couldn't possibly turn on the generator, could you?" Sakura pointed out.**

" **Yes, you could. If you used this." Makoto, using the E-Handbook, showed them the broken crystal ball.**

" **What is it, some kind of glass ball?" Mondo asked. "It's busted to hell…."**

" **Actually, it was supposed to be a crystal ball." Hiro explained. "But, uh…."**

"He got tricked out of losing a whole lot of money." Junko said nonchalantly. Hiro hung his head shamefully in response to her words.

" **But….how would you use it?" Chihiro questioned.**

" **The killer simply took aim at the incinerator switch and threw the ball through a gap in the gate." Makoto answered. "All they had to do was hit that switch, and the incinerator would come to life."**

" **Someone threw that….through a gap in the gate?!" Hifumi exclaimed in shock.**

"I know! That shouldn't be possible!" Hifumi agreed with his future self's shock.

"The accuracy to hit a small target that's thirty feet away from you would be extremely difficult to do." Chihiro pointed out, looking shock herself. "Someone would have to be extremely precise with the direction and timing."

"Or….have the confidence and skills to do so." Makoto said quietly, not wanting to upset the baseball star anymore than he already is.

" **Remember what you said before, Hifumi?" Makoto asked him. "You told me that the last time you checked it, it was off." The luckster then addressed everyone. "But Hifumi had the key, so the only way the incinerator could have been turned on without his knowledge, was because the killer was able to hit the switch without opening the gate. Once they'd got the incinerator going, all they had to do, was ball up the shirt and toss it in!"**

" **H-Hey, come on….what the hell is this?" Leon cried, getting more and more pale.**

" **All you have to do is look at the scene to know that the killer never actually went inside the trash room." Kyoko then began listing off the pieces of evidence. "The shards of broken glass, the incinerator being left running, the piece of shirt that escaped the fire….if the killer had been on cleaning duty, the evidence would have been taken care of much more thoroughly."**

Each piece of factual info kept hitting Leon hard. It's getting harder and harder to defend his future self, to say for sure that he isn't the killer. "No….no it can't be…." Leon muttered, looking pretty pale and shaking a little.

" **W-Wait no….just hold on!" Leon protested.**

" **But the distance from the gate to the incinerator has to be at least….thirty feet, right?" Chihiro interjected. "The pinpoint accuracy you'd need to throw a glass ball that far and hit something that small….could someone really do that?"**

" **Th-That's right! There's no way!" Leon quickly agreed. "It'd be impossible!"**

" **Difficult, absolutely. Impossible? I don't think so." Makoto disagreed. "Because the killer is the Ultimate Baseball Star. Isn't that right, Leon?!"**

That's what cracked Leon. He knows his own skills, and he's confident that he could hit a target like that. While it's a challenge, when he puts his mind to the pitch, he always gets what he aims for.

Was it….really him? Did he really….kill Sayaka?

Some of the others felt themselves sick at hearing this. Hina and Chihiro are near tears. They all know that one of their future selves killed Sayaka, they knew it, but to actually figure it out….it doesn't feel pleasant.

Makoto couldn't help but wince in sympathy for his friend. This must be hurting him. Not only because he was the one to kill Sayaka, but their bluenette friend was the first to attack and try to murder him.

" **D-Do you have any idea how stupid you sound right now?!" Leon exclaimed, his face completely pale.**

" **A target thirty feet away would surely be little challenge for the Ultimate Baseball Star." Celeste taunted.**

" **Y-Y-Y-You can't be serious!" Leon stuttered out. "I….! I…!" Finally, his pale face went red with rage. "I'm not the killer! These goddamn shit-for-brains have got it all wrong, I'm telling you!"**

"He still won't admit it?" Celeste questioned with a sigh. "All of the evidence points to him as the culprit."

"When being cornered like a fucking animal, you lash out like one." Mondo sighed. Like the others, he honestly don't know what to feel about Leon being the killer, let alone the entire situation.

" **You still won't admit it? Okay then," Kyoko sighed before turning to Makoto. "Makoto, go ahead and review the incident one more time to make his crime perfectly clear. And with that, we can end this…."**

" **Listen to me! What the hell do you mean end this?!" Leon shouted, veins popping up near his eyes.**

" **Say what you want, Leon. But all the questions have been answered, and the truth has been revealed." Makoto stated. "Now here's what happened….!"**

Spirit spoke up once again. "Another feature is going to be added here." The host told all of them, getting their attention. "It's called the closing argument. It's where the event is shown in a manga format while Makoto summarizes the entire case."

"Is it to give us a clearer picture as to what exactly happened?" Celeste deduced.

Spirit nodded. "Exactly."

Sayaka bit her lip, her face still pale and tear stained. She is not looking forward to seeing herself attempt a murder, nor seeing her death.

 **The scene changed to a dark screen, with the words 'Act 1' on the right side of the screen. "I think I'd better take one more look back at the case from the beginning," Makoto began. "Last night, the killer went to the room where Sayaka was in, or in other words, my room. From what we can tell, Sayaka invited that person there intending to kill them. She attacked them with the knife she'd taken from the kitchen earlier…."**

 **As he spoke, the screen, in manga format, showed the killer entering the room, with Sayaka hiding behind the wall and ready to strike. When Makoto said that Sayaka attacked, the TV showed the killer dodging the attack from Sayaka.**

" **...But then something something happened that she wasn't prepared for." The scene then showed the killer bumping into the sword. As he noticed it, Sayaka went in for another attack. The killer grabbed the sword and blocked the strike. "They grabbed the fake sword I'd put in my room, and fought back."**

" **During the struggle, a strike from the sword broke Sayaka's right wrist…." With the sword still held up, the killer swung it downwards as continued Makoto speaking. "And that's when she lost her grip on the kitchen knife."**

 **A picture of the replica sword being held menacingly while Sayaka was leaning on the wall, holding her broken wrist, was shown. A small panel of Sayaka's eyes looking to the right, was in the middle of it. "Finding herself cornered, Sayaka panicked and ran into the bathroom." Scene 2 then started, with a picture of Sayaka running into the bathroom being shown while the killer reeled in shock for a bit.**

" **The killer went after her, but couldn't get the bathroom door open." The scene then showed pictures of the killer trying to get in while Sayaka was leaning on the door. "What they didn't know was that my bathroom door got stuck easily, and there was a trick to opening it. Sayaka knew about that because I told her, but of course the killer had no way of knowing."**

 **A picture of a scared Sayaka was shown. "So instead, the killer forced the door open," A picture of the killer holding the screwdriver near the doorknob was appeared next. "Took the kitchen knife…." The pictures switched to the killer entering the bathroom, holding the knife menacingly, and a shocked Sayaka, the picture turning black and white in a second. "...And stabbed Sayaka."**

As the scenario continued playing out, Sayaka felt herself shaking and her eyes widen with various emotions. She wanted to look away from this, she didn't want to see herself attempt murder and get killed in return, but, like with the motive, her eyes wouldn't let her. And unfortunately, she doesn't have Makoto to help comfort her.

The vicious look on her future self's face terrified her. Her attempt at killing Leon made her want to cry even more. She felt like she was being stabbed when the picture faded to black and white. Sayaka tightened her grip on her bow and pulled her knees up to her chest as her emotions ran everywhere.

The others were also having a difficult time seeing this. Hina, Makoto, Leon, and Sakura were having a hard time comparing the Sayaka on the screen to the kind girl they became close with. Leon also had to deal with the nagging thought of who the silhouette is.

 **A picture of Sayaka sliding down the wall, blood splattered behind her, was next to be seen. "But with what strength she had remaining, Sayaka left a dying message…." A picture of Sayaka writing the message was then shown. "To keep the killer from noticing, she wrote it on the wall behind her."**

 **Pictures of her letting out her last breathes, the killer's reaction, and Sayaka dead on the floor was revealed. "And with that, all her strength was gone."**

Makoto's gripped his hands on his knees at the sight of Sayaka's dead body. A deep part of him felt like it was right since he was betrayed, but the whole thing was just wrong. Nothing would've warranted her death.

Kyoko saw this and silently put her gloved hand over his, prompting Makoto to look at her and gave a small smile in thanks, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

 **Act 3 was next. "With Sayaka dead, the killer quickly began destroying the evidence. First, they took off their shirt, which was covered in the victim's blood." A scene of the killer making a motion of taking off their shirt was shown. "Then they took the lint roller in my room and cleaned up the area." Pictures of the killer cleaning up the hair in the room was next. "They wanted to make sure they got rid of any trace they'd ever been there…."**

 **Act 4 was the last to be shown. "Afterwards, the killer headed to the trash room to destroy their bloody shirt." A scene of the killer in the trash room got displayed. "They tried to burn the shirt using the incinerator there. But the trash room was blocked off by an especially sturdy gate, preventing access to the incinerator."**

" **So they came up with a plan to use Hiro's crystal ball, which he'd left in the laundry room." A picture of the killer holding the crystal ball was next to be on screen. "The killer managed to throw the ball through the gap in the gate and hit the incinerator switch." Pictures of the killer's eye on the switch, preparing to throw the ball, and the glass ball being thrown appeared. "For any normal person, that would've been an impossible throw, but the killer had the confidence to take the shot. And that's because the killer….was the Ultimate Baseball Star."**

" **The crystal ball, thrown with absolute precision, hit the switch on the incinerator…." Pictures of the ball flying towards the switch and the ball hitting the switch was shown. "...which then quickly roared to life." The switch being turned on and the incinerator coming to life came soon after. Pictures of the killer balling up the shirt and throwing it in the incinerator was the next to be shown.**

" **Having destroyed the last piece of evidence, they left the area with, I imagine, a sigh of relief." Pictures of the killer leaving the door, the shirt being burned, and the killer walking away with that sigh of relief were the next set of pictures. "But there was one thing they missed…."**

 **The pictures of part of the shirt getting burned off and falling out of the incinerator were the last pictures to be shown. "Part of the shirt they'd thrown into the fire burnt away and fell out of the incinerator. The killer didn't notice this, and so left behind a piece of indisputable evidence."**

 **The scene then switched to Leon's podium and Makoto's getting close together. The latter's face and the silhouette's face got in front of the scene, with the silhouette revealing itself to be Leon. "Isn't that right….Leon?!"**

"A good summary of the case." Kyoko complimented on. "With it, all the contradictions that were presented are now completely cleared up and we have a good grasp as to what happened." Kyoko then turned to Leon. "So, Leon, can you deny any of this?"

The baseball player was silent for a moment, his face still very pale. After that long moment, he spoke. "No….no, I can't." He admitted painfully, his body shaking. With the whole summary of the case, there was no doubt that it was his future self that killer Sayaka. It was him that his blue haired friend tried to kill.

"But I doubt the future Leon will accept defeat that easily." Sakura sighed, frowning.

"I have to agree." Byakuya stated. "We will need something even more indisputable in order for him to concede defeat. Not that his tantrums would do anything. Everyone else is pretty much convinced."

"Can you blame him for acting like that?" Chihiro asked softly. Byakuya sighed.

"No, I can't." ' _Though he brought it upon himself.'_ Byakuya thought the last part to himself.

 **The scene switch back to the trial room, with Makoto still speaking. "It would appear that Hiro simply forgot his crystal ball in the laundry room." Makoto continued. "You went there to try and wash the blood out of your shirt, and that's where you saw it, right? Seeing the ball, you thought of a way to take care of everything…."**

" **So, Leon….do you object to anything that's been said?" Kyoko questioned.**

" **Do I object?" After a small moment, he exploded in anger. "Hell yes I do! Of course I object! I object, I object, I object!"**

"Shut up you idiot." Leon mumbled loudly to his future self.

"It seems like you were right when you said he wouldn't give up." Celeste sighed. "Is there any more evidence left to show that he's the killer?"

"Actually, yes. There's one more thing." Kyoko stated. "And there's nothing Leon could say that would refute it."

"After that, it'll be over." Makoto mumbled, trepidation coming up with his other emotions.

" **I mean, all of this is just a bunch of stupid theories! You need evidence! Where's the evidence?!" Veins appeared in Leon's eyes and sweat rolled down his head as he slammed his hands onto the podium. "Without evidence, it's all bullshit! It's bullshit and I refuse to acknowledge it!"**

" **Well then, I guess this is as good a time as any to present the evidence that proves you did it." Kyoko remarked. "Makoto….I believe you're in possession of that evidence?"**

That got Makoto out of his emotional whirlwind. "I….have the evidence?" Makoto asked in confusion. "What is it?"

"It must've been something we haven't seen yet." Kyoko mused. "Cause I can't figure out what evidence my future self is talking about."

' _ **I….have the evidence?'**_ **Makoto thought in confusion.**

" **When the killer removed the screws from the doorknob, they didn't use anything from your room to do it." Kyoko told him. "Instead, they must have used something that belonged to them."**

That's when it clicked in Kyoko's and Makoto's mind. "The toolbox." The former stated. "That's my future self is talking about."

"I never used the toolbox, and since Leon thought it was Sayaka's room, he didn't even think about finding it." Makoto continued. "So he would have had to use his own toolbox."

"So he would need to show his toolbox in order to prove whether or not he did it." Byakuya deduced. "And that will be end of this trial."

' _And the start of the execution!'_ Junko internally. She have no doubt she would convulse again when Leon's execution start. She's having a hard time already keeping the pleasure in.

' _ **They used something of their own to remove the screw,'**_ **Makoto mused over.** ' _ **Could it have been….?'**_

" **I refuse to acknowledge you! You're stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Leon declared angrily. "Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupid!"**

"Shut up, you idiot!" Leon exclaimed, holding your head. "It's over! They figured it out!"

 **After a moment of thinking, it clicked in his head. "The screws on the bathroom doorknob were removed." Makoto said. "I wonder what kind of tool the killer used to remove them…."**

" **I mean….it had to be a screwdriver, right?" Mondo guessed.**

" **Oh yeah. I'm pretty sure the toolkits each had one inside." Hiro remembered.**

" **Then that must be what he used!" Hifumi stated. "There aren't any other tools anywhere."**

" **But the toolkit in my room had clearly never been used…." Makoto told them. As he said that, a flashback of Makoto into his drawer during the investigation was shown.**

" **That's because the culprit didn't know it was your room! They thought they were in Sayaka's room!" Taka realized.**

" **Only the boys got toolkits, so the killer naturally assumed there wouldn't be one in there…." Chihiro said.**

" **Okay, then whose toolkit did the killer use?" As Makoto asked that, the camera angled closer to his face.**

 **It quickly moved to the angry and frantic Leon, in the same angle. "Stupidstupidstupid!"**

 **The camera moved back to Makoto. "It had to be their very own toolkit!"**

 **And back to Leon. "Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupid!"**

 **Once again, to Makoto, this time, he has his eyes closed. "Leon, would you mind showing us your toolkit? If I'm right about this, then," Opening his eyes with clear determination, he declared this. "Your screwdriver will show some evidence of being used!"**

 **The camera froze Leon's angry expression, moving closer to in different angle until the image broke like glass. "Stupidstupidstu….uh, huh?" His angered expression got mixed with a stun one.**

"Let me guess, another feature added in?" Byakuya remarked.

Spirit nodded. "To show that they lost the argument, whenever somebody feels particularly stubborn."

" **And if you say you used it for something else, you'll have to explain exactly when, where, and why…." Byakuya declared.**

" **And let me say this right now," Kyoko stated. "'I lost it' isn't an excuse at this point."**

"And with that, Leon is finished." Celeste concluded.

" **Stu….pid. Stu…." The anger on Leon's face melted away, replaced with a mix shock, defeat, and despair. "...pid?"**

Everyone felt chills at the expression on Leon's face. The mix of shock, defeat, and despair was bad enough. The black and white drawing of it made it even worse.

"That is fucking creepy." Mondo mumbled.

"I agree. That face is unsettling." Taka said with a shudder.

' _A face devoid of all hope and filled with despair!'_ Junko stated in her mind. It's becoming harder and harder to contain herself.

Mukuro winced at his face as well. Though she's seen countless defeated soldiers express similar faces, it was quite different when said person was one of your classmates and potential friend.

" **So, you have no rebuttal?" Was Byakuya's rhetorical question.**

" **Then it would seem….we are finished here." Celeste stated. Leon didn't say anything, the shock and defeated look still on his face.**

' _I….caused this.'_ Sayaka thought, feeling ready to puke at the sight of Leon in shock and defeated. ' _I brought Leon to this.'_

 **Monokuma let out a laugh. "Looks like you've reached your verdict!" The bear stated. "Then are we ready to cast our votes? You all have a lever in front of you. Use it to make your selection! Oh, just to remind you all, make triple sure you vote for someone! You wouldn't want to be punished for something so minor, right?"**

' _He's forcing us to vote for Leon.'_ Kyoko thought as she slightly narrowed her eyes at the bear. ' _Forcing us to agree to execute him.'_ The bear wanted to make sure that everyone was also responsible for his death.

 **Everyone stayed silent to this. "OKay! Then let's get excited!" Monokuma cheered. "Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna beeee?!"**

 **After that rhetorical question, the scene switched to a slot machine, with the students' faces on the slots. The slots continued rolling until all of three of them stopped on Leon, causing the lights to flash, cheers to come out, and money to flow out of the machine.**

 **The scene faded back to all of the students, who've got off their podiums and gathered around. "Uh-oh! Looks like you got it right on the money!" Monokuma stated. "The blackened in this case, the one that killed Sayaka….was none other than Leon Kuwata!"**

That statement hit nearly everyone hard. Even when they figured it out, even when they knew for sure that Leon was the killer….it was still something none of them wanted to hear in words.

"I-I can't believe it." Hina breathed out, pale. "Leon killing Sayaka? It just doesn't seem possible."

"Not to mention how the entire scenario played out." Taka agreed, also pale. "I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around it."

"Ain't that the fucking truth?" Mondo stated, none of his usual heat in his voice. He looked at Makoto, Sayaka, and Leon, the three looking the worst out of everyone. "But at least we don't have it as bad as they do."

"For now." Byakuya added in. He has no doubt that there will be more killings. Until they found a way out, or find the one leading this, Monokuma will keeping giving motives, which in turn motivate them into killing.

" **...Huh?" Leon finally manage to get out of his state, though he still look very pale. "H-Hold on a second…."**

" **Leon…." Makoto stepped towards the baseball player. "Leon, did you really….kill Sayaka?"**

" **I don't believe it…." Hina said, looking pale amongst several others.**

" **Son of a bitch….!" Mondo growled. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"**

"I-I knew there was a p-part of him that was a s-savage," Toko remarked, both pale and sweaty. "But t-this is…."

"I never thought he would be capable of killing Sayaka," Hifumi murmured, looking pretty freaked out. "Then again, the memories of our time together were taken away."

" **I-I didn't have a choice," Leon attempted to defend himself. "It was killed or be killed! S-So that's why….I killed her first."**

' _Oh. Right.'_ Makoto was reminded of that little fact. ' _Sayaka tried to kill Leon….and tried to pin it on me.'_ Being reminded about that brought back the whirlwind of emotions he was feeling.

"How the fuck was that self-defense?!" Mondo growled. "Maybe it was in the beginning, but when she started hiding in the bathroom, it stopped being defense!"

"I….I don't know!" Leon cried out, holding his head. Why did his future self went after Sayaka? Was it for payback? Because of that motive? Why?

" **None of you are any different!" Leon lashed out on them. "One wrong step, and you'd be the one standing here! It was complete chance that I wound up like this! I was just….unlucky! That's all…."**

" **Grr…!" Was Mondo's response, bowing his head down the floor.**

" **H-Hey, come on….!" The baseball player exclaimed. "You expect me to just accept my death?!"**

 **As they talked, Makoto got lost in thought.** ' _ **The decision we made was right after all.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **But when I think about it….honestly, I'd be better off if we'd been wrong.'**_

"Huh?! Why?" Hina questioned in shock.

"I-If we've been wrong, we w-would've died." Toko told him. Makoto didn't say anything. He just stayed silent.

' _ **Because if what we came up with really is the truth….then that truth is that Sayaka was trying to frame me.'**_

"Oh….that's why." Hina and Toko, along with some of the others, winced at this. Tears filled up Sayaka's eyes again.

' _ **But, even if that's true….I can't say she was wrong.'**_

Once again, it took the others by surprise. "Um, what does he mean?" Hiro asked in confusion. "Is he saying that what Sayaka tried to do was the right thing?"

"No….that's not it." Makoto said softly, shaking his head. "What Sayaka did….it wasn't right. But I can't say it was wrong either. After all, I wasn't in her shoes."

"All of our future selves saw videos of those we cared about in danger." Mukuro pointed out, trying to keep the anger out of her tone. She was still slightly mad at Sayaka for what she had almost done to Makoto. "What makes you say that we weren't in her shoes?"

"I think my future self will explain." Was all Makoto gave. He doesn't really feel like talking right now.

" **It's all because of the video," He mumbled quietly to himself. "Even I couldn't handle what I saw in there. If I was her, and the video actually had something to do with me, I couldn't even imagine…."**

 **Flashbacks of Sayaka first reveal of her mental state was shown. "The one thing that was more important to her than anything else: her dreams, her friends….to have to see something like that happen to them….and Sayaka…."**

 **Flashback of that talk in the trophy room showed up again.** ' _ **For the friends that meant so much to her….that's why she betrayed me.'**_

' _But….it wasn't worth it.'_ Sayaka thought to herself. ' _Betraying Makoto….trying to kill Leon….the look of betrayal and shock on Makoto's face….that dream isn't worth it.'_ And she had no doubt that if her friends heard what her future self did, they wouldn't support it. Not at all. They would've been extremely disappointed.

' _ **So….when she said….'**_ **A flashback of the talk between Makoto and Sayaka after the motives was shown.** ' _ **She was lying to me from the very beginning. She was using me….is that why she talked to me in the first place?'**_

Those thoughts were plaguing Makoto as well. ' _When did she plan to betray my future self? After the motive? Somewhere before that? Could she have been manipulating me from the very beginning?'_ Those thoughts could not leave Makoto.

Sayaka, however, thought differently. She knows that she wasn't manipulating him from the very beginning. She knows that the bond they shared in that killing game was real. But the thought made it all the more painful. She decided to betray a friend for her career, rather than put her trust on him.

' _ **I….I guess I'll never know….'**_ **He concluded.** ' _ **Because there's nothing I can do to ask her what she was thinking. Once you're dead….that's that….'**_

' _Oh, he's in complete and utter despair!'_ Junko thought in utter joy. ' _Shows you Mr. Positive! The stronger positive feelings are, the bigger the despair is! The possibility of Sayaka betraying him is probably making poor ole Makoto despair!'_ Her mouth watered at the thought.

" **Boy howdy! The entertainment industry must sure be terrifying, huh?!" Monokuma exclaimed. "I mean, to try and kill someone just because of those relationships! She seemed so nice and lovely on the outside, but inside….she'd descended into pure madness!"**

That snapped Makoto out of his funk. ' _What….what did he say?'_ Anger slowly started building up inside him.

It also angered some of the others. "What right does he have to judge Sayaka?" Hina remarked angrily.

"He has none. None at all." Sakura stated, frowning even more.

" **What….what did you say?" Makoto asked, getting out of his thoughts.**

" **I understand, really I do. Yup, yup!" The bear stated. "You're in utter despair thanks to Sayaka's betrayal, right? Compassion, intimacy, love….the strong the feelings, the stronger the despair when they collapse!"**

That brought a volcano of anger in Makoto. "Is he screwing with us?!" He shouted, surprising several of them. Even Junko was surprised by this. "He put our future selves in this mess in the first place! He forced Sayaka to do that!"

"But….didn't Sayaka make that choice on her own?" Junko asked.

A angry scowled is set on his face. "Even though it was her choice, it was forced into her hand! He forced her into a decision she wasn't emotionally ready to make! He has no right to say those things!"

Junko was shocked at his reaction, mentally frowning. This isn't despair! This is righteous anger! He was supposed to despair at the possibility that his closest friend could betray him!

The others had shocked looks as well. "I never thought Makoto was capable of that kind of anger." Taka said in wonder.

"Yeah." Hina murmured in agreement. It was both cute and scary at the same time.

"I don't blame him." Mukuro said softly, her eyes filled with sorrow for Makoto. "With everything he had to confront in the spans of a few hours, some sort of outburst was bound to happen."

 **That caused Makoto to snap. "Stop screwing with us! This is your fault!" He yelled angrily. "Sayaka being forced to do something like that….all of it….everything….! It's all your fault!" In a frenzy, he lunged at Monokuma.**

Hina gasped. "No!"

"What is he doing?!" Mukuro exclaimed.

"You idiot!" Byakuya growled.

"Somebody stop him!" Hifumi squealed.

Sayaka let out a strangled gasp, covering her mouth. Even Kyoko and Celeste dropped their masks as shock overtook them.

 **But before he could get close, Kyoko latched onto to his arm. "That's enough." She said firmly. "If you really want to make her enemies pay for what they've done, you need to let it go for now."**

 **Makoto was silent for a moment before settling down. "Dammit!" He cursed in frustration.**

Several sagged in relief, especially those with crushes on him. Kyoko and Celeste schooled their features once more before the former firmly turned towards the luckster.

Before she could scold him however, she took note at the look on his face. She sighed, and decided to let it go. It'll probably be the last time Makoto try to attack Monokuma.

" **Ahh, that was a close one!" Monokuma panted in relief. "I thought for sure you were gonna give me a good walloping! Just barely avoided punishment, you did!"**

"A face. A name." Mondo growled in extreme. "Give me those, and I'm gonna give the damn bastard a good fucking walloping!"

' _Not if the mastermind a girl, right?'_ Junko sung in her head. She predicts that if the others ever finds out that she's the mastermind, Mondo will struggle with pounding her face in.

" **Now then! Since you so magnificently revealed the identity of the killer during the class trial…." There's an eagerness to the bear's voice now. "...the blackened, Leon Kuwata, will receive his punishment!"**

"P-Punishment?" At this, Leon got even paler, if that was possible. "W-Wait, you mean he's about to….execute future me?"

If there was any color remaining in the students' cheeks, it was completely gone now. They were not going to enjoy this, they just know.

Sayaka eyes grew back in horror, tears slowly coming out of her eyes. ' _No….no, please, not Leon….don't let him die because of me.'_ But she knew that thought will be left unheard.

" **P-Punishment?" At this, Leon's feature got even paler. "You mean….e-execution?" At this, he panicked a little. "W-Wait a second! I didn't have a choice! I HAD to kill her! Y-Yeah, that's it! I was just protecting myself in the heat of the moment! It was self-defense!"**

"Does he honestly still believe that it was self defense?" Junko asked in disbelief.

"Like Mondo said, it stopped being self-defense when Sayaka ran into the bathroom." Byakuya said.

 **Celeste cut in at that. "How, exactly, was it self-defense?" She questioned him. "When you forced your way into the bathroom, did you or did you not use your very own toolkit? After she'd shut herself in the bathroom, you went out of your way to head back to your own room. Then you came all the way back, broke into the bathroom, and killed her. Am I wrong?"**

" **You had any number of chances to stop what you were doing. But you chose not to." Celeste continued. "Is it not because you had an unclouded intent to commit murder?"**

" **N-No! That's not….!"**

"He really believes that it was self-defense." Makoto spoke quietly. "We don't know the entire scenario. Maybe it was self defense."

"Y-You really think that?" Leon asked. While he's still afraid of what's going to happen, he was slightly shocked and confused at Makoto's words.

"Yes. Maybe he was afraid that Sayaka would be after him, or tried to talk to her, but ended up having to….you know," Despite the betrayal he felt, he couldn't finish that full sentence. "There's a lot of 'what-ifs' that could've happened, it could've been any of these scenarios."

"Regardless, it won't really matter to that psycho bear. I have a strong feeling he's not the type to care for any type of semantics." Junko sighed. That didn't make Leon feel better.

" **Stop it," Makoto interrupted the argument. "I've had enough of this."**

" **Oh? Are you sure? You were closer to her than anyone, were you not?" Celeste inquired. "He killed your precious Sayaka. Do you understand?"**

 **Makoto closed his eyes in the painful reminder. "I can't say Leon is solely to blame." Makoto admitted. "Of course, I don't plan on blaming Sayaka, either. Because…." Opening his eyes, he set towards Monokuma. "The one to blame….is you!"**

" **S'waaaah?!" Was Monokuma's response.**

" **If it weren't for you….this never would have happened to Sayaka, OR Leon!" Makoto stated angrily. "We shouldn't be fighting each other….we should be fighting against the one who put us in this situation! The mastermind!"**

"Inspiring and truthful words." Sakura said in approval. For now, the execution was set in the back of their mind for a bit. "It should be something our future selves should take to heart."

"Unfortunately, logic and emotion don't always go hand in hand." Kyoko sighed. It's why detectives firmly stand on neutral ground. So emotion doesn't push away logic and facts. Mukuro nodded in agreement a few seats away. She's seen her fair share of soldiers failing to control one or the other.

' _How could you not blame me?'_ Sayaka cried out mentally. How could Makoto not blame her future self for what she had done? Does the current Makoto feel the same way? Or does he feel different?

" **Uh-oh! Did you awaken your sense of justice?!" Monokuma questioned mockingly. "Well, it just so happens that there's nothing more unethical than an unwavering sense of justice. After all, it's people with that sort of mentality that perpetuate war all over the world. Is that the kind of justice that's awakened within you?!"**

None of them liked what Monokuma is insinuating. "For once, would he just shut up?!" Mondo growled.

"No, let him speak. The mastermind will be just be digging their grave deeper and deeper when we find and defeat them." Celeste said in a calm but deadly tone.

"Makoto's sense of justice is not bad as you say it is you stupid bear!" Hina exclaimed in anger. Sayaka, also forgetting about the execution that's about to come for a moment, scowled in anger, her hands shaking.

" **Just….shut up!" Makoto shouted in frustration.**

" **Okay, well, anyway. More importantly….!" Monokuma got back to the subject at hand. "Let's hurry up and get to what everyone's been waiting for! The punishment!"**

The anger and frustration was quickly replaced with fear and anxiety once again. "O-Oh no…." Toko said, covering her eyes.

"This is not going to be pleasant." Sakura said grimly. The bear is way to excited for this.

"No….no, no, no….." Leon muttered, holding his head.

" **I'm begging you…..!" Leon began pleading. "Please, don't do this!"**

" **No more begging! No more excuses!" Monokuma rejected cruelly. "You must pay the penalty for breaking the rules! Society demands it!"**

"What society would demand something like this?!" Taka demanded, looking as anxious and apprehensive as the others.

"T-This is too cruel." Chihiro said tearfully, trying to hold back the tears.

" **S-Stop, please….!"**

 **Monokuma gleefully ignored Leon. "Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Baseball Star!"**

" **No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"**

" **Let's give it everything we've got! It's…..PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"**

" **NNOOOOOOOOOOO!" As Leon's scream went through the trial room, Monokuma pull out a gavel and hit it on a big red button that suddenly rose out of the ground before him.**

 ***GAME OVER. LEON KUWATA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. COMMENCING EXECUTION.* Those words were what appeared under the button as a pixelated Monokuma dragged an equally pixelated Leon.**

Leon's scream also resonated through the living room, sending chills down everyone's spine. All of them were helpless as they watched Monokuma slammed the gavel.

"...The fuck is this shit?" Was all Mondo could say when they saw the video-game looking scene. Everything about him is currently tense, something that everyone else is feeling. Well, everyone except a certain mastermind.

"Oh god...oh shit…." Was all Leon could say, horror and dread clear on his face as watched the pixelized Monokuma drag his own panicking and struggling avatar off the screen.

 **The TV went back to Leon, who's looking around in a nervous fashion. He didn't notice a chain coming up behind behind him until it was too late. When it clamped onto his neck, it began dragging him out of the trial room in slow motion before it sped up and dragged him out in seconds. The exit he went through closed and the IN USE sign lighted up above the door.**

 **As the chain dragged him, Leon struggled against it in vain. The chain took him to a baseball field, and in slow motion, the screen showed it off before speeding the scene back up and taking Leon towards the scoring board. Leon was dragged to the middle of the field, where a single metal pole stood. As he hit the pole, more chains quickly restrained him against it and all his attempts at struggling was quickly suppressed.**

 **The camera closed into Leon, showing off the chains wrapped around his body. He took a quick look at the chains that restrained him, before looking back to the front as something appeared. The camera moved back to show a large gatling gun coming out of the ground, pointed right at Leon.**

 **The scene got quiet as the gatling gun was loaded with baseballs. Behind the gates, Makoto and the others are forced to watch as the gun slowly fired up, its mechanisms clicking and whirling. As the music started back up, the gatling gun's noises got louder and louder. Under it, Monokuma, wearing a cap, aimed a baseball bat towards Leon.**

 **THE 1,000 BLOWS**

 **At first, it only started with a few shots at Leon. But slowly, the gatling gun started firing faster and faster before firing like a machine gun. The gatling gun started moving around, shooting every part of Leon's body as the class watched in horror. Any baseball thrown towards Monokuma was hit back with his baseball bat.**

 **As the shooting continued, blood started appearing on Leon's body. The onslaught continued until the scene entered slow motion, showing the baseballs coming at Leon, the blood everywhere, and his screams of pain being drowned out in the relentless assault. The camera showed the pained and terrified face of Leon. When he opened his eyes to see the baseballs coming right at his face, the scene returned to real time.**

 **Finally, the onslaught stopped, the gatling gun stopped right where it came from, and the gate opened. The camera showed each and every expression of the rest of the class' face, including Monokuma's, before it showed the silhouette of the now dead Leon with hundreds of baseballs laying all around him. A baseball slowly rolled forward to show the blood splattered onto it before the camera zoomed out to show everyone the appalling scene one last time and fading to black.**

For the third time, dead silence filled the room at yet another death. Horror, anguish, grief, despair, and terror ate away at the students.

Byakuya, Mondo, and Sakura had to look away from the scene, teeths clenched. Taka and Hina looked close to puking, their faces pale, and the latter having tears coming out of her eyes. Terror was written on Hifumi's and Hiro's face. And even Kyoko and Celeste looked visibly shaken at the gruesome scene.

The execution….it was the most agonizing thing they had ever seen in their lives. Not even Kyoko or Mukuro had saw something so twisted in their lines of work. It was horrifying and despairing nightmare fuel for some.

Makoto himself was extremely pale, his whole body visibly shaking in fear while horror, grief, anguish hid behind the look in his eyes. He had to witness three of his friends die. Worst is that those three closest to him.

Sayaka, the idol he had a crush on and bonded with ever since day one. Mukuro, the soldier who seemed distant towards the others, but was always friendly and welcoming towards him. Leon, his best friend, indecisive with his career, but still a fairly dependable person. He had to witness all three of their deaths.

Leon was worse. His face his white as a sheet and his eyes glued to the floor, his expression devoid of life. Witnessing his own execution….he didn't even know how to describe it. How could one describe the terror building up as the execution started? How it turned to horror when he saw himself getting pelted with the very icon of his career? He can't even think of an emotion to describe how he felt at seeing his battered _corpse_.

Throughout the execution, Sayaka curled up into a ball and let the guilt build up as it all played out. When Leon finally died, she cried profusely. This was her fault. She caused this execution. Her future self was the one who start the entire thing. And now poor Leon had to suffer for it. For her mistake.

Chihiro didn't say anything, she couldn't say anything. Tears silently strolled down her cheeks, the programmer's mind replaying the whole execution. What was worse was that they basically condoned Leon's execution. They voted for him, gave the "okay" for Monokuma to kill Leon. They were as responsible for Leon's death as Leon was for Sayaka's. ' _I'm….weak.'_ She thought helplessly.

Toko is curled up into a ball, her eyes curled shut. She saw some of what was happening. When the blood started to appear, she quickly closed her eyes and attempted to block out the rest of the execution, but to no avail. Still, what she saw was enough to give her nightmares for weeks. ' _Are we going to keep seeing stuff like this?'_ Toko cried out mentally. ' _I don't know if I could take this anymore!'_

Junko ended up landing on the floor, on her knees and one hand, the other holding her mouth, her whole body visibly shaking. If anyone one payed attention to this, they would assume that she's as affected as the rest of them. But that isn't even close to truth.

Instead of shaking in horror, it's shaking in pure ecstasy. Instead of covering her mouth to hold back her lunch, she was holding back her cries of pleasure. Once again, she tried her hardest to contain herself, but the amount of despair in this was too much. And once again, she didn't care if anyone saw her.

Mukuro ignored her sister, dealing with her own emotions. Honestly, she didn't know what to feel right now. Guilt, betrayal, and loyalty was all mixing up to be a jumble of confusion for her. She's feel guilty for her future self assisting Junko in putting her classmates through the killing game, and the betrayal from her own sister increased it. But even with that, a sense of connection still remained with her.

' _Why? Why do I still feel loyal towards her?'_ Mukuro thought in frustration. ' _She betrayed me! She killed my future self without hesitation!'_ But….she betrayed her first. Abandoned her years ago. Does it make them even? She closed her eyes and bawled her fists in frustration as she can't find an answer.

No one could say anything at the moment. All of them just processed the horrifying execution they witnessed. The first of several they will see.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next one will have the class react to the last part of chapter 1, then the break. What should I call it? Watching Ch 1: To Survive Part 15 + Break? Or just the break chapter? Something I'll need to think about. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **Questions and inQuiries time!**

 **Q: At the end of every chapter, can you put a relationship meter showing how Makoto feels about his classmates and vise versa?  
S: No, it's too much extra work to do.**

 **Q: Will you be adding in the special events in the game? (The peeping scene from CH3 for example)  
S: I don't know as of yet, but most likely not.**

 **Q: *Multiple questions/inquiries on Hajime and Izuru in class 77 watches the future***  
 **S: He's likely not going to appear since during the time the class is going to be watching it, he's either still in the reserve course or he's "busy" with the Kamukura project**

 **Q: *Regarding the specifics of where this fic takes place on the timeline*  
L: So I see there's a small discussion about how specific this takes fic places itself on the DR timeline. I don't think it's that important to pinpoint a specific time frame, but just know that this takes place before Junko makes any moves on Hope's Peak Academy aside from enrolling in the school.**


	23. Watching Ch 1: To Survive P15 Break

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So here, I'll be showing the last part of Chapter 1, along with a part of the break. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 22: Watching Ch 1: Part 15 Break

" **What we saw," Narrated Makoto, as the screen was still black. "That was the true face of despair." Right as he said that, the screen lit back up, revealing the sick and horrified faces of the remaining students. "What else could you call it, other than that?"**

 **As the students processed what they have seen, Monokuma hopped back onto his throne. "Wooohooo! Extreeeeeeeeeeme!" Monokuma cheered. "Man, my adrenaline is pumping right outta control!"**

Its unnaturally gleeful voice snapped everyone out of their stupor and reality slowly came back to them. "What….what the hell did we just watch?!" Hiro yelled, holding his porcupine like hair.

"A horrifying and bizarre execution." Byakuya said, still looking rattled.

"Leon….Leon is dead too!" Hina looks close to hyperventilating, the tears still running her cheeks. Sakura put a hand on Hina's shoulder, squeezing it lightly in order to comfort the swimmer.

"So now, there are 12 of us left." Celeste said, managing to get some control back over her emotions, but she still couldn't contain a grimace. "How many more of us will die, I wonder?"

"It's not something I would like to think about." Taka said, still looking pale but managing to hold back his lunch.

Leon was still in shock at what they've seen. There was nothing he could think to say about this. Nothing at all.

While everyone is still reeling from what they witnessed, Junko got back up from the ground and returned to the couch. Though she still had her hands muffling the gleeful spout of laughter, she managed to keep her composure somewhat.

" **Uwah….! Uwaaaah!" Hifumi screamed in pure terror.**

" **Wh-Wh-What's going o-on?!" Toko screamed, looking extremely distressed.**

" **I-I can't take this anymore….!" Chihiro exclaimed tearfully. "Do we really have to keep doing this? I just can't take it!"**

 **Monokuma spoke up once more. "Well hey, if you don't like it….." Another close up to Monokuma's face happened. "...all you gotta do is swear to cut off all ties with the outside world and accept living here forever! But that's only if every single one of you can get on-board with that." His evil laughter rang around them after that.**

"In other words, a choice to give up all hope in finding a way out." Makoto said gravely, his eyes still wide with various emotions. "And give in to despair."

"Luckily, none of us would accept staying in there forever." Kyoko sighed. "But the option to continue on finding a way out has little hope."

"Exactly what the mastermind wants." Sakura stated, her free hand clenched in anger. Monokuma is for sure a sick and twisted monster.

 **The camera zoom back out. "Man, fuck you," Mondo said gruffly, still rattled at what he witnessed. "Why the fuck are you doing all this evil shit to us?!"**

" **Evil?!" Monokuma exclaimed in outrage. "You make it sound like I'm some dark, awful, secret society type of guy! Or in this case, a dark, awful, secret society type of BEAR!"**

" **Um, so why are you putting an upstanding young citizen like me through such a grueling ordeal?" Hifumi inquired fearfully.**

 **Monokuma tilted his head at the question. "It seems like you're trying to use common sense to make sense of something that doesn't make sense! That's like trying to put a mile on a scale! I just don't think it's possible…."**

"He's avoiding the question." Kyoko mumbled to herself with a frown. Why is he doing that? Does the reason have something to do with how to get out of here or the mastermind's identity? An odd feeling rose within her as she replayed Monokuma's response in her mind. It seemed to be of some importance, but at the same time, it doesn't. She'll have to let it go for now.

" **Hey, uh, I don't think what you're saying and what I'm saying quite fit together." Hifumi said nervously.**

 **Mondo then spoke up. "You piece of shit!" Mondo growled at him. "I don't know who you are, but I'm gonna pound your ass into the ground!"**

"Damn right I will!" Mondo stated, sounding angry and tired. "He's going to pay for what he's planning to do us! I'll break his fucking skull before he'll get the chance!"

"Get in line then, I'm going to find them and make them suffer first." Byakuya remarked coldly. Once he gets the identity, he'll use all of his resources to hunt down and drag the mastermind by his feet.

 **Monokuma merely giggled at that. "You must really hate me to get so angry, huh?" The bear asked rhetorically. "But if you do that, you're barking waaay up the wrong tree. What happened, happened because more than one of you decided you wanted to get out, right? No matter how much time passes, you can't cut free of your regrets from the outside world. You're to blame!"**

"He's blaming us?!" Hina yelled, getting angry. "He's the one who put us in that insane situation in the first place!"

"He's the one who gave us the motives to kill!" Makoto continued, just as angry as Hina. "He's the one that triggered Sayaka to do that! If he's going to blame anyone, it's himself!"

' _Nope, nope! It's because Sayaka chose not to break free of the outside world!'_ Junko retorted in her mind. It's not her fault if they choose to murder in order to escape. She just….gave them a little nudge in the right direction.

" **Of course we can't cut f-free of the outside world!" Taka stated shakily. "Being trapped in this insane p-place….!"**

" **Hmm….you're trapped, are you?" Monokuma inquired. "Well, I'm sure once you learn all the mysteries of this school, your thinking will change for sure. You'll think, 'Boy, isn't it so wonderful how we all get to live here forever?!'"**

"Why would we be happy about being trapped in that place?" Hiro cried out, confusion mixing in with his terror. "I wouldn't want to live there!"

"What is he getting at?" Byakuya questioned with narrowed eyes.

" **What are you trying to say….?" Taka inquired nervously.**

 **Kyoko's eyes narrowed. "I feel like there's some deeper meaning hidden in there," Kyoko said. "Just like before…." When she said before, she means when Monokuma eagerly started the execution. When he said 'everyone'. "When you say 'everyone'...who exactly are you referring to?"**

That got several of the people's attention. "Yes. What does he mean by everyone?" Sakura agreed with the question. "And why would we glad to be trapped inside the school?"

"What is Monokuma hiding?" Taka questioned, struggling to come up with something.

"I doubt he will tell us." Celeste sighed. "He seems to want to keep that information to himself and let the rest of us figure it out."

Kyoko silently stored those few hints away for later. She'll need to write down everything they've found out, any clues they had about the school, mastermind, and their situation later. Maybe she'll be able to piece something together when she has the time to.

" **Sorry, I said everything I've got to say!" Monokuma stated. "I need to save some of the fun for later!" With another spout of evil laughter, he left the scene, leaving everyone overwhelmed by the nightmare turned reality.**

 **No one tried to speak. Some were tearing up, other faces were devoid of emotion and replaced with stupor. All of them just stood there, unable to move, and while everyone was paralyzed by the situation, Kyoko moved closer to Makoto. "Makoto. Can I talk to you for a second?" She whispered into his ear. "Before we head back, there's something I want to talk to you about."**

"Huh? What does Kyoko want talk about with Makoto?" Hiro asked in curiosity.

It didn't take that long for Makoto to find an answer. "It's probably about Sayaka." He said quietly. He turned to Kyoko. "Am I right?"

Kyoko nodded. "Most likely, you are." She said softly. "I'm surprise you figured it out."

"It wasn't that hard to do so." He said with a shrug, his voice shaky from everything he heard and witnessed.

 **Makoto was silent for a moment. Then, he spoke. "It's about Sayaka, isn't it?"**

 **Now it was Kyoko's turn to stay silent for a moment. "I'm surprised you figured it out." She admitted. "I told you before the class trial started that you had to figure out the mystery of this case for yourself."**

" **You wanted me to realize how Sayaka betrayed me by myself, didn't you?" Makoto realized. He then looked down and clenched his fist. "The thought never even crossed my mind. I feel like such a fool, becoming such an easy target like that…."**

"You weren't being a fool Makoto." Sakura said firmly. "That was just placing your faith in a friend. You couldn't have possibly imagined that she was planning to kill someone, and then putting the blame on you."

"Yeah, Makoto! It was future Sayaka's decision, a decision that was impossible to see!" Hina stated in order to comfort the luckster. Sayaka, who had managed to stop her tears, couldn't help but flinch at those truthful words.

Makoto stayed silent. While he's appreciates that they're trying to cheer him up….being reminded that it was a conscious decision on Sayaka's part made it worse.

" **Sayaka meant to double-cross you. That's a fact that you can never change." Kyoko stated. "But even till the very end, she wasn't sure of her decision. That's why….as she lay dying, she was thinking of you."**

Several heads snapped up at that. Even Kyoko was surprised by what her future self said. "She was thinking of Makoto?" Byakuya repeated. "Why would she say that with no evidence?"

"Yeah." Makoto said quietly. "No matter how much I want to believe that….the only one who would know that is future Sayaka, in her dying moments."

Kyoko stayed silent, watching her future self closely. What is she trying to do?

" **She was thinking….of me?" Makoto's attention went fully to her now. "You can't just say something like that….I mean, there's no way you can know that. Only Sayaka would know for sure, and we can't ask her now…."**

" **Even if you can't ask her, you can infer it, don't you think?" Kyoko responded back. "Her final thought….was how she could protect you."**

" **What….?" Makoto looked surprised at Kyoko's statement.**

" **The fact that she used her last ounce of energy to leave her dying message proves it." Kyoko stated. "If she didn't care what happened to you, she never would have left that message."**

Throughout the post execution, Leon stayed silent. He couldn't really say anything, and didn't want to say anything. However, he couldn't help but comment at this. "What makes Kyoko think she didn't do so just to take me down with her?"

"I….have to agree with the possibility." Makoto said. "It may have been her just trying to get revenge."

Sayaka shook with grief at their words. Has their trust in her got shaken up that badly that they would suspect that she would do it just to spite Leon? Though honestly, she was wondering herself if that's what the case was. Her trust in her own moral compass has been shaken up badly by the revelations given to them.

" **Well…..maybe she just wanted to get back at the person who had killed her." Makoto suggested.**

" **That's certainly one possibility." Kyoko agreed with. "But I don't think that's what it is. She was….uncertain. She wasn't sure she could kill someone….or deceive them. Which is ultimately why her plan failed. Her hesitation attracted failure. It's almost ironic when you think about it."**

 **Makoto stared at her quizzically. "Why are you telling me all this?" He asked her.**

"I have to agree with future Makoto, here. This is most unlike you, Kyoko." Celeste commented on.

"Granted, you have gotten along better with class as the months passed, but your future self's memory has been wiped away." Byakuya stated. "You wouldn't go out of your way to offer comfort to someone, nor give them anything that isn't straight facts."

"I'm….confused about this as well." Kyoko stated, her ironclad mask not revealing her confusion. This isn't something she would usually do.

" **Because," She began, trying to find the right words. "You're the kind of person that can overcome this. Because you can move past the deaths of your friends - Sayaka and Leon - and keep moving forward. Without someone like that, the others never be able to break free of such a desperate situation."**

Her small speech had nearly put everyone into a state of shock. "Wow Kyoko," Hina said in awe. "I never thought you could say something like that."

"Agreed. Who knew Kyoko could say something profound?" Taka stated, amazement also in his voice. "And it might be the words that Makoto would need!"

"And it shows that you really do care about us, if only a little." Chihiro said with a wide smile.

"Yeah…." A small smile entered Makoto's face. "I'm glad your future self is looking out for everyone's well-being." While Kyoko is not extremely heartless, he never saw this side of her. His respect towards her, and he's sure several, if not, all of his classmate's respect for her has gone up as well.

"Yes….I'll admit, it's nice to know I'm capable of that." A small smile entered Kyoko's face. In the beginning, she thought her future self would just be looking out for herself mainly. The last thing she expected was for her to try and comfort Makoto.

" **Move past their deaths?" Right as the question got out of his tongue, Makoto shook his head. "That's….I could never do that."**

 **Kyoko didn't respond to that, closing her eyes. "No….I'm going to carry them with me the rest of my life." Makoto declared. "How could I possibly 'move past' something like that? Leon….Sayaka….I'll carry them with me forever. I'll carry their memories with me wherever I go!"**

Once again, everyone was shocked or surprised at what they just heard and all eyes fell onto Makoto. "Carrying the memories of Sayaka and Leon?" Celeste questioned in surprise.

"That's a difficult road to follow." Mukuro said, concern mixing with her genuine surprise. "It's almost like getting stabbed in the back and leaving the knife there as a constant reminder."

"And yet, he said that he was going to do that." Hina said, amazement back in her voice.

"Even with all the shit he's been through, he's still able to say something like that?" Mondo questioned in shock.

Makoto himself looked at his future self in surprise. He honestly thought he couldn't say something like that, not after everything he went through in the past hours. Is he really that strong-willed? Does he really have that kind of willpower to go through with it?

Junko looked at Makoto with disguised annoyance. While she knew that there was a chance of Makoto getting back up from this, being the optimist that he is, she was betting on Sayaka's betrayal would put a dent on that optimism. Oh well. There's plenty of despair left for that to happen.

 **Kyoko stared at Makoto for a moment, digesting his words. "So instead of forgetting them….you're choosing the hard road." A small smile entered her face. "Well, I have high expectations for you. By the way, I have to admit, I'm curious….how did you know I wanted to talk to you about Sayaka?"**

" **Oh, well…." After thinking for a moment, he said this. "I'm psychic."**

 **That startled Kyoko. "Huh….?"**

Sayaka stared at Makoto with wide eyes. That's the joke she usually used, and everyone knows that. So….Makoto really did intend to carry the memories of her and Leon?

Like Sayaka thought, everyone recognized the joke. "So Mr. Naegi is really going to try and remember them huh?" Hifumi commented on.

"Well, I think that's amazing!" Hina gushed with stars in her eyes. "Who knew Makoto could say something like that? Not to mention that soft heart Kyoko revealed to have!"

Makoto blushed in embarrassment at Hina's gushing while Kyoko turn her face away, a bit of pink on her pale cheeks.

 **Makoto laughed a little. "Kidding….I just have good intuition." As he said that, the screen turned black.**

" **Chapter 1, To Survive. THE END." The screen showed those words before showing the red and yellow silhouettes of the entire class, blacking out Sayaka, Junko, and Leon.**

As the video ended, the class remained silent, processing everything they have seen. While the chapter did end in a somewhat light note, there's still….a lot to digest.

Sayaka being murdered by Leon, the reasoning behind it, Mukuro's death by the hands of Monokuma, Leon getting executed, and maybe even things before or during the whole murder investigation. It's going to take some time for everything to sink in.

"Let's….take a break here." Byakuya sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I think we can all agree that we need time to absord all of this. Some, more than others."

No one disagreed. Everything they've seen was much to take in. Too much probably.

Kyoko spoke up. "It's late in the evening anyways. It's best to eat dinner now and then get some rest for the night." Kyoko turned to Spirit. "Is it alright that we do?"

Spirit nodded. "Your rooms are upstairs. Each of you will have one for yourselves." Spirit informed them. "When you come to terms with what you've seen, we'll continue."

"Thank you." Makoto said gratefully, though his voice is weak. "We'll be needing that time."

With that, the class got up and went in different directions. Some, like Leon, went upstairs, not feeling very hungry. Others went to the dining hall to get something to eat. Everyone was fairly silent on their way to their destinations.

Makoto was on his way to the dining hall when Sayaka spoke from behind him. "Makoto?" The luckster stopped on his track before turning towards Sayaka. The girl's eyes are red from crying and her cheeks are stained with tears. "I….I need to explain to myself to you….explain my future self's action. I-"

"Sayaka. Please, don't." Makoto interrupted, stopping her. "I understand why your future self made that choice, I do. Your dream, your friends….they matter to you more than anything. Seeing what happened to them, seeing that possibility, it made you desperate to get out."

"...But even though I understand, I….I can't brush off what I've seen. Like it was nothing." Sayaka's head snapped up in shock, tears already forming in her eyes. She winced when she saw the look on Makoto's face, a mix of guilt, conflict, and sorrow.

"How am I supposed to feel, knowing one of your closest friends tried to frame you in the future?" He asked her, his voice laced with emotions. "That she manipulated you for who knows how long in the future? That under dangerous circumstances, there's a possibility that she would betray me to keep her dream?"

Tears formed in Makoto's eyes. "What hurts the most is wondering if I could trust you." He stated. "I keep wondering if you would do the same, regardless of the time spent with each other. That you would manipulate me, use me, then throw me away."

Every sentence, every question, stung Sayaka badly. Tears silently fell into her eyes as she listened to Makoto. She couldn't come up with a good defense, with the guilt eating her up and knowing that Makoto is justified in feeling this way.

"I'm sorry Makoto." Sayaka said, covering her mouth when a sob came out. "I'm….so sorry. I didn't think I would ever do something like that to you."

At the site of the crying idol, Makoto felt the urge to go and comfort her. To make her feel better. But the betrayal and distrust stopped him from doing so. "Just….give me time to think." Makoto said, looking away from the idol, both his heart and mind suddenly felt heavy as he broke eye contact. "I just need to think for a while." Despite a part of his mind protesting this, he turned to leave. "Later, Sayaka."

With that, Makoto left, leaving Sayaka by herself. The idol merely stood where she was, watching as Makoto left the room. It took her a while before going back to her room. She didn't think she could eat anything right now. If she tried, she bet she would throw it right back up.

(With Mukuro)

Like some of the others, Mukuro decided to head towards her room. She has too much to think about to even think get anything in her stomach, the main thing being where her loyalties laid.

For most, they would've immediately cut off any loyalty they had towards the one they worked for, after seeing what would happen. But….it wasn't simple for Mukuro.

Despite what she saw, she still cared for her sister. Still loved her. A part of her still want to stay loyal to her.

The room Mukuro is in is a lot like the dorm rooms at Hope's Peak. The differences though is the flat screen TV in the room, as well as the pack of Monokuma dolls inside her drawer. She had a feeling that those were meant for stress relief.

As she laid on her bed, looking up at the ceiling, she thought about the reasons why she still felt loyal. She knew a part of it is guilt. The guilt of abandoning her in France, choosing to fight with the Fenrir instead of staying by Junko's side.

But the biggest reason is probably because she's a soldier. And as a soldier, she needs something to fight for. If she doesn't have that, then she's just mindlessly fighting and killing.

Junko is that something she's fighting for, and a part of her wants to stay loyal to Junko since if she's gone, there will be nothing left for her to fight for. A small voice reminded her that Makoto could be someone to fight for, but for now, it went unheard.

But it's obvious that Junko doesn't care for her now. That she's more than willing to kill her at any moment just to feel the despair of it. And it's hard, painful even, to watch her classmates, possibly her friends, go through that despair. It's painful to watch _Makoto_ go through that despair.

So what should she do? Who should she side with? Her classmates? Or her sister?

Before she could think more on it, a knock echoed into the room. "Hey, sis! Can I come in?" Mukuro stiffened at the sound of her sister's voice. "We got a lot to talk about!"

Reluctantly, Mukuro got up to let Junko in. If she ignored her, who knows what Junko will do. Besides, she needed to confront her about what they saw. What Junko's future self did to her.

When she opened the door, she was met with a bright face. "Oh, watching the despair and death of my classmates is more wonderful than I have imagined!" Junko squealed, skipping into the room and flopping down on Mukuro's bed. The soldier quickly closed the door, to make sure no one would hear.

"Never thought miss pop idol would have the guts to try and do a stunt like that." Junko casually stated, like she's talking about usual gossip. "But I'm glad she did. It started up the road to despair! You go girl! And Leon's execution? Gloriously despairful!"

Mukuro stayed silent, letting Junko speak. "And the thing that trumped all that despair?! Seeing my future self killing my own sister!" Junko shivered at the memory, rubbing her thighs. "Oh, the despair my future self have felt when she ended your life! The despair you must've felt when you got betrayed! Oh, I'm so jealous!"

Junko then flopped back up in sitting position, indian style. "Oh, and not to mention your despair! I can't imagine how you're feeling right now, knowing that any opportunity I could get, I might betray you and kill you!" She looked at her curiously. "Can you describe it to me sis? Describe to me how exactly you feel?"

"...Am I that expendable?" Instead of answering her question, Mukuro asked her own questions. "Am I just a pawn to you?"

Junko frowned. "Um, when someone ask a question, you don't answer with a question Mukuro."

"I don't care." Mukuro snapped, making Junko's eyes widen in shock. Mukuro herself was also shocked at what she said, but right now, she wanted answers. "Right now, I have questions I want answered. Would you really betray me? After everything I did and planned to do for you? You would kill me just so you could feel despair for that one moment?"

Junko stayed silent. A blank look entered her face, emotion completely off. Then, she went and slapped Mukuro, causing the soldier to fall down on the floor with a gasp.

Like always, Mukuro saw it coming, and she was planning to block the attack. But what stopped her was a sudden flash of the past. Leaving Junko, fighting with Fenrir, living day by day on the battlefield wondering if her sister was still doing well. It stunned her long enough for Junko to get the slap in.

"Oh, so my hopeless sister decided to talk back at me, huh?" Junko said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Well, if you really want to know how I feel about you, what I would do, I'll tell you."

Junko then put her heel on Mukuro's abdomen, hard, drawing a gasp of pain from the soldier. "We may be flesh and blood, but you're still a pawn to me. Strong, yes, but still a pawn"

Her cold words caused Mukuro to wince, especially when Junko began drilling her heel in her abdomen. "Like any pawn, you are expendable. And I have the liberty to choose when to discard my pawns."

"But even though you're a pawn, your still my twin sister." Junko said, this time, her voice is softer. "I love, and care about you very deeply. And because of that…..the despair of killing you like that can be hard to resist." She bent down and caressed Mukuro's cheeks with one hand as a crazed look entered her eyes. "I could imagine it already. The decision to end your life, seeing the blood pour out of you, the shock, the confusion, the betrayal in your eyes…..that's a type of despair you can't just ignore."

She removed her hand and the crazed look left was replaced with her usual grin. "So, in conclusion, yes. Even if you follow every order of mine to the letter, I would betray and kill you, just to get that taste of despair."

Finally, Junko took her heel off of her sister and stepped back. Mukuro, throughout the entire speech, felt tears build up in her eyes. Everything her sister said, what she told her….it broke her heart. While it wasn't the first time Junko tried to kill her, those attempts weren't that serious. Junko herself also knew that those attempts wouldn't kill her so easily.

But the successful attempt at her life in the killing game….that was different. Junko knew she had her guard down. She had no reason to change her mind on the plan aside from simply killing her for pleasure. That knowledge, along with what Junko said, caused her heart to be filled with so much sorrow. Seeing Junko's true intentions seemed as if her world was suddenly flipped upside down. All of a sudden, Mukuro felt like she understood less of the world than she did before.

"...Do you feel any guilt at all for what your future self did?" Mukuro finally asked, slowly getting up from the floor.

"Huh? Why are you asking a question like that?" Junko asked, as if the answer should be obvious. "Of course I feel guilty! I felt shock, confusion, horror, grief, guilt, and, most of all, despair, from seeing you die by my hands! And it felt so good, watching the entire thing!"

Slowly, Mukuro made her way to her bed and sat on the edge of it. "So, can you answer my questions now?" Junko inquired.

"...I felt hurt." Mukuro reluctantly began telling Junko how she felt. "Shock, confusion, betrayal, I felt all of that. All the questions asked, they were on my mind throughout the rest of the whole thing. Anger a little bit after. That's how I felt."

Junko looked at Mukuro enviously. "Man, I'm really so jealous of you!" She whined. "I wished I was in your position….oh well. I better get something to eat before it's time to tuck in. Later, Mukuro." With that, the fashionista skipped towards the door.

Before she went out, however, she paused to add something. "Oh, and don't talk back to me again." Junko looked at Mukuro with an evil smile. "Who knows what punishment would await that. Such as, I don't know, telling Makoto our entire plan and your involvement in it? Can you imagine how he'll look at you after that?"

Mukuro's eyes widened in horror at her suggestion. "W-Wouldn't that reveal you as the mastermind?"

"True. That would be a big bummer, assuming that this whole future thing doesn't reveal me anyways." Junko mused. "Well, maybe I would just reveal you as a future spy for the mastermind." The horror on Mukuro's face grew even bigger. "Well, later! Keep that in mind, sis!"

With that, the diva slammed the door and left the room, leaving Mukuro with several thoughts running through her head. She had thought she finally understood Junko, but it turns out she really didn't. She had been doing everything to please her, but in reality, she really wasn't pleased. She's been doing anything for her forgiveness and it turned out to be completely futile. Mukuro just stood there, eyeing the door of her room, before tears slowly trailed down her eyes. For the first time in her life, the ultimate soldier slowly started sobbing like a regular girl.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys like this chapter, and I hope I the characters in character. I know some of you probably thought Makoto would just automatically forgive her, but realistically, I don't think he would. He would forgive her eventually, but the shock and betrayal shouldn't just evaporate that quickly, which was something a few of you reviewers mentioned. Don't worry, it won't be too long until he begins trusting her again.**

 **Next up will be the next part of the break. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **Questions and inQuiries:**

 **Q: Will you also be doing a viewing for DR:UDG?  
L: Spirit has plans to do this, but it's not going to happen for a while :P**

 **Q: Will you do a memorial scene?  
S: I don't plan on doing a memorial scene.**

 **Q: How will it be explained to Chiaki that she's an AI in Class 77 watches the future?  
S: I'll cross that bridge when I get there.**

 **Q: Will Hajime have his own harem despite not being there? (e.g., they could simply fall for him)  
S: If it's close enough to canon, then I'll do it.**

 **Q: In the break, will you make a joke where Spirit cracks a joke about viewing a future where the killing game didn't happen and X happens?  
**

 **S: I'm not sure. For one, I don't think there'll be space for that. But if there space for it, I'll chew on it.**


	24. Break Chapter 1

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here, we'll be continuing from the break in the last chapter, starting with the majority of the class talking to each other about what they saw. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 23: Break Chapter

(Recreational Room)

Wanting some time to think for himself, Makoto went to grab a sandwich from one of the small booths before leaving the room. Before he could get out, however, Hina's voice called him over. "Hey, Makoto!" The luckster turned to see Hina, with the majority of the class, waving at him. "You aren't going to stay and join us?"

Makoto smiled apologetically. "Sorry Hina, I just….need some time to think right now." With that, he turned around, sighed and walked away with sulking shoulders.

"Is Makoto okay there?" Hiro asked, concerned for him.

Mondo sighed. "Obviously not dude. And it's not even his fault." The biker clenched his hands together. "I mean, fuck. We just watched Sayaka, Mukuro, and Leon get goddamn wasted. And Sayaka was the one who started the whole damn thing."

"Yeah." Taka looked down at his plate of food. "Still, what Leon did was inexcusable. He should've found another way to resolve, regardless of what stress he was in."

"No argument there, bro." Mondo agreed. "While Sayaka isn't a saint either, she didn't deserve to die."

Meanwhile, Chihiro was silent. The programmer is trying to analyze the situation, figure out Leon's logic in his actions, as well as Sayaka's actions. The first was hard to do, since not much was revealed. They didn't see neither Leon's nor Sayaka's point of view in the situation, so she can't draw an accurate conclusion to what Leon was thinking.

Sayaka wasn't any easier. While the programmer understand the logic behind Sayaka's action, she doesn't know what to think of it. Is it something she should hold against Sayaka? Should the idol be forgiven?

After a moment of thinking, Chihiro decided to ask everyone else for their opinion. "U-Umm, guys?" Chihiro called out timidly, gaining everyone's attention. "Since we're talking about Sayaka and Leon….what do you guys think of their actions?"

Everyone was silent for a moment at that question. "Wow. That's a loaded one." Hiro said, holding his head. "What do I think? I don't think I want to think about this at all."

"Me neither." Hifumi said as he served Celeste's favorite tea to her. "It's like a complicated mystery anime, that has a mystery behind a mystery. Once you solve something, something else is hidden behind it. Those kinds of mystery hurts my brain."

Toko snorted. "O-Of course the two o-of you don't want to think. You're m-minds could h-hardly think now." She ignored the indignant shouts from the two. "A-As for me, I think Leon is a d-dirty killer. S-Sayaka isn't innocent either though, and got the p-potential to be dirty too."

"I think that's a bit far Toko." Hina argued. "While I definitely don't agree with either of them trying to kill each other, I don't think it's simple as Leon being a dirty killer."

Toko huffed, but didn't deny it. In all honesty, she doesn't believe her words fully either. She hates killing, but she doesn't know the situation Leon was in. Still…. "M-Miss Perfect doesn't have an excuse e-either."

"I don't know about that." Taka said, frowning. "I want to agree with you on that, but….that motive forced her hands, didn't it?"

"Yes. The choice of either killing somebody or losing your career." Celeste spoke in, taking a sip of her tea. While she is angry at Sayaka for trying to frame Makoto, she found herself relating to her after a moment of thinking as well. "A career she worked very hard on. If it were my own assets on the line, I might've at least given the thought some consideration."

"Okay, yeah, her job was being threatened, but is it really worth killing someone?" Hina argued, a big frown on her face. "Not to mention trying to frame poor Makoto for it."

"Sayaka worked hard to get the position she's in. There was a part in the future where she said that she have to do things she didn't want to." Byakuya retorted. "When everything you worked for is at risk, you look at every available option." His thoughts went to his own assets, as well as the entire Togami line.

Before they could argue, Sakura put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "They may have a point." Sakura said to Hina gently. "We're not in their position, so we can't judge her too harshly. When it comes to thing people put their heart and soul in, they would do almost anything to keep it." Hina still has a frown on her face, but didn't say anything else.

After looking at her friend for a moment, she turned back to the others. "As for Leon, his actions are immoral, but I can understand it somewhat. The situation was a helpless one, something that would be hard to deal with."

"Like future Celeste said before the execution, he had plenty of time to think this through." Byakuya remarked. "A number of chances to stop what he was doing. But he didn't."

"I don't think it was that simple for him." Sakura countered, frowning.

While the group talked about what they witnessed, Kyoko is sitting by herself, writing what they found out so far. For one, they found out that this killing game is located at Hope's Peak, right in the old school building. Several modifications were made, such as the trial room, the front door sealed up, and metal plates on the windows.

The mastermind killed the principal, her father, and the school seemed to be absent of any other students, the old school building at least. Several disasters seemed to have happened outside of the building, which appeared to be things the mastermind orchestrated. The mastermind also seemed to wield a lot of power, both in finance and influence, if the motives and how advanced Monokuma was has any indication. Monokuma isn't stopping them from searching for the truth, and is even giving them hints, whether he knows it or not.

Their future selves' memories got wiped in what would've been their third year at Hope's Peak. Yasuke Matsuda, so far, is the only suspect for who the mastermind could be, or is at least associated with the mastermind.

' _Alright. That should cover it.'_ Kyoko thought to herself. ' _Now, I just need to review it.'_ However, just before she could do that, someone called out to her.

"Hey, Kyoko." The one who called out was Hina. Taking her eyes off the notes, Kyoko looked at the group. "Can you come over here for a minute? We wanted to ask you something!"

Kyoko silently got up, putting up her notebook and pencil before going over to her fellow classmates. "Yes, Hina?"

"I was wondering, what do you think of….what Sayaka and Leon did?" Hina asked her. "We've been talking about it, and there's a lot of mixed opinions."

Kyoko didn't say anything at first, just silently standing behind an empty chair at the table. Then, she voiced her opinion. "Leon was not thinking straight at the time." Kyoko stated bluntly. "His thoughts were in most likely affected by paranoia, vengeance, or stress due to Sayaka's attempt at his life. It's common not to think clearly in those circumstances."

"Wait, you're saying that Leon was right in killing Sayaka?" Hiro asked in disbelief.

That question resulted in a cold glare from the detective, making Hiro and yelp duck down under the table. "I did not say that." She said clippely. "I'm saying that I understand why he did it. While his actions are immoral and deserve proper punishment, it's at least understandable."

"And Sayaka?" Byakuya inquired with a raised eyebrow.

At that inquiry, Kyoko worked her mind to make sure no angered bias came from her answer. She is angry at future Sayaka, angry that she's willing to betray Makoto like that, but she isn't going to let it cloud her judgement. She's a Kirigiri, and a Kirigiri does not let emotion cloud them from finding or speaking the truth.

"I admit, her willingness to betray Makoto angers me." Kyoko said honestly. "Betraying someone's trust is something I detest….but even still, it's understandable. Her situation was to kill or lose her dream forever. The stress and reality of the situation influenced her mentality, in other words, she wasn't thinking straight when she made her decision."

"Do you think something like that is forgivable?" Sakura questioned.

"If you're asking whether or not we should forgive our Sayaka, that's up to you to decide." Kyoko told them. "After all, everything we've seen is in an alternate reality, albeit, some time into the future. Still, we can't ignore what we've seen, so you need to decide for yourselves, if the Sayaka standing with us today can be forgiven."

For Kyoko personally, she can't really trust Sayaka after finding out what her future self did. She's hardly a trusting person, and Sayaka broke her trust after what she attempted to do. Makoto will probably forgive Sayaka eventually, so she'll need to keep an eye on the idol for Makoto's sake.

Wanting to review her notes without anymore interruptions, Kyoko stood up. "I'm going to my room now. If you would excuse me." With that, she left the room, leaving the rest of her classmates in silent thought.

After a couple minutes, Hina spoke up. "We need to decide for ourselves if the Sayaka standing with us today can be forgiven." Hina repeated what Kyoko said, slumping. "Yeah, right. She says it like it's an easy decision."

In all honesty, despite their rivalry for Makoto, Sayaka is a good friend to Hina. The two hang out and talk with each other, and get along very well. But the fact that she tried to kill someone, and frame poor Makoto as well, is something she can't ignore. It isn't something she could brush off easily like most things.

"You have all night to figure it out. After you take the stink off of Toko, you can think about it in your room." Byakuya told her. He stood up in his seat. "As for me, I won't be holding it against her. It's pointless, considering this only happens in the future." With that, Byakuya left.

Hina blinked at the reminder. "Oh yeah, I forgot that me and Sakura have to give Toko a bath."

"Yes. We should get to it." Sakura said, looking around for the writing prodigy. She immediately spot her trying to sneak away from the break room. "Toko!"

The writer yelped and attempted to make a break for it. But Sakura and Hina was already on her tail. "Get back here Toko!" Hina yelled as they chased after her.

(With Leon)

Leon thought the day he was forced to shave his head the worst day ever. He thought the day he found out there was already an Ultimate Musician was the worst. He thought losing his favorite shirt was the worst.

 _None_ of those things could compare to this day.

He sat on the edge of his bed, fists clenched and feeling nothing but the anger and stress boiling within him.

What he's angry at, well, it could be at a number of things. Maybe it was at Sayaka for her future self's attempt at killing his future self. Maybe it was at the others for voting him dead. Maybe it was at Monokuma for executing him, for setting up that messed up game in the first place.

But, if he's being honest, he's actually most angry and disappointed with himself.

What the hell possessed him to kill Sayaka? While their memories were wiped, Leon knew that he had admired Sayaka for her idol career and had a crush on her. Why would he go out of his way to break through that door and put a knife in her stomach? He could've calmed her down through the door, or he could've easily just left and called for help. Why didn't he do either of those? In hindsight, it was so god damn easy...

And more importantly, why did Sayaka choose him of all people to kill? What did he do wrong? Sure, maybe he should flirt less, and maybe he didn't take the singing career that seriously, but that didn't warrant his death. Right?

He shut his eyes when the execution ran through his head. The baseballs he collected in his pockets suddenly seemed heavier of all of sudden. Baseballs. Of all things, it had to be the icon of his career. Why that of all things? Did that bastard teddy bear wanted that to haunt his dreams in the afterlife? Maybe make it feel more hopeless?

"Damn it," Leon gritted out, his eyes still close. "Why? Out of everyone here, why did it have to happen to me? Why me?!" He screamed out the last part, holding his head to together.

Suddenly, a knock entered the room, interrupting his thoughts. "Hey, Leon. It's Makoto." The luckster's voice sprung into the room next. "Can I talk to you?"

Leon scowled. "Why? So you could scold me about killing Sayaka? Well, I don't want to hear it!" The baseball player exclaimed, as he proceeded to lay on his bed.

"No, that isn't it at all!" The alarm in Makoto's voice was clearly. "I just wanted to talk, that's all. I know….that you must feel pretty bad about what you say."

Leon snorted. "Understatement of the year."

"I guess you don't want to see me, considering we basically helped kill you." The guilt in his voice was heard. "So I'll just tell you this. Don't blame yourself for what happened Leon. Despite killing somebody, your future self was a victim in it."

Leon bolted upright and looked at the door in shock. "How could you say that?" The distress was clear in his voice. "I killed somebody Makoto! I killed Sayaka out of my own conscious mind! How could you say that I'm a victim, when Sayaka is dead because of me?"

"Cause it was….Sayaka's plan." He replied, Leon instantly picking up the pain in his voice. "She tried lure you in and kill you. You got put in a situation where you couldn't think straight. Maybe it was paranoia that hit you. Maybe you actually wanted to talk to Sayaka, but ended up being forced to kill her."

Leon gripped his fists, desperately wanting to believe his words despite the cold truth of his actions said everything otherwise.

"You can't know that for sure Makoto!"

"I know enough to be sure that you're a good person Leon." Makoto's voice was resolute. "You wouldn't kill her with malicious intent. And it was clear in your future self's voice that he clearly believes that it was self-defense, despite Celeste's good points."

The luckster's voice then got softer. "You might be hot-headed Leon, but you're also not a liar, so don't eat yourself up about this. Now that we know our future, we can do things to stop it. To make sure that you won't kill Sayaka, that you won't end up being executed. I believe in that." Shortly after, Makoto's footsteps slowly faded into the distance, leaving Leon alone in his thoughts again.

(The hallway)

The luckster let out a heavy sigh as he left the door of Leon's room. Despite battling his own demons right now, he felt that he needed to help Leon come in terms with what they've seen. He couldn't just abandon him, despite what his future self did.

Hopefully, his words got to his best friend. He doesn't want Leon to implode from the guilt of killing Sayaka and the despair of seeing his own death.

As he continued walking to his room, he heard footsteps from behind him. Turning his head, his eyes widened in confusion when he saw Hina and Sakura walking, the two of them holding a struggling Toko by the arms and legs.

"No! Let me go!"

"Come on Toko! All of us needs a bath!"

"You will not be an exception to this rule, Toko."

Toko still struggled and protested as they passed a shocked and confuseed Makoto who pressed himself against the wall to let them pass, none of them noticing him as Toko seemed to be putting up a pretty good fight.

"...Guess Toko was trying to escape." Makoto finally said, before continuing his walk. It's getting easier and easier to accept his classmates' eccentric personalities.

He was about to resume walking but found himself rooted to the ground as something stopped him again. It was the sound of sobbing coming from one of the rooms. Half-expecting it to be Sayaka's room, Makoto looked at the direction of the crying only to see it was….Mukuro's room.

Well, this is a first.

"Mukuro?" Makoto called out in concern, knocking on the door. "Are you alright?"

As he asked that, the crying stopped before Mukuro's shaky voice replaced it. "I-I'm fine. Don't worry." The tone in her voice worried Makoto more. As far as he knows, very few things, if anything at all, could shake her.

"Are you sure? You don't sound alright." Deciding to test his luck, literally, he grabbed the handle of the door. Luckily, the door's unlocked. "I'm coming in ok?"

Hearing no protests, he went in only to see Mukuro sitting on the bed with red eyes and a tear stained face. Makoto instantly grew concerned, he's never seen Mukuro like this before.

"Mukuro, what's wrong?" Makoto sat beside her, his face filled with concern. "Was it your future self's death?"

Mukuro refused to look at him, her eyes threatening to pour out water once more. "Don't worry about me. You have your own problems to deal with, don't you Makoto? Don't let me stop you from dealing with them."

"Mukuro, I'm not gonna leave you like this." Makoto told her. "You're my friend. I don't abandon my friends."

Mukuro tightened her grip on her fists and continued to look away from him, grief and guilt gnawing on her. ' _I don't deserve your help.'_ Mukuro thought miserably.

"Mukuro, please, look at me." At his pleading request, Mukuro turned her head towards Makoto. She was met with his smile, the same smile she fell in love with. "You're my friend. And friends help each other, so please, tell me what's wrong."

The soldier stared at him, several emotions building up within her. Pain and sorrow stabbed at her for putting Makoto in this position, but at the same time, happiness and even a little bit of admiration for his eagerness to help. Even when dealing with his own problems, he's found strength within him to help others. ' _If only you knew the extent of my problems. You wouldn't be so eager to help, Makoto.'_

"...I-It's about my death." Mukuro said quietly. She decided to tell part of the truth. "It was just so….sudden. It happened so fast, that I didn't know what to think." She clenched her fists on top of her knees. "I'm a soldier. Whenever I fight on the battlefield, I knew there was always a chance of me dying. Being the Ultimate Soldier doesn't change that."

"...But nothing ever prepared me for that." Mukuro admitted to. "None of my training, none of my experiences, nothing prepared me to see my own death in the future. It's something you just don't think about. When you fight, you're always thinking ahead of you opponents, always looking for openings and planning ahead. You down one person and you've already figured out how to take on the next five. The last thing you want to think about is your own death, and now that I've seen it….I can't help but wonder if this will be my future. If I'm just going to fight until I die..."

"No, that's wrong." Mukuro looked up in surprise at Makoto's quiet yet bold refutation. Makoto was looking at her with eyes of determination. "I'm no soldier Mukuro, but even I know that the best laid out plans don't always go as planned. Things are always changing, just like in life, thing's aren't always set in stone. Just because you have a road laid out in front of you doesn't mean you have to walk on it, you can always look for other roads. And even then, I think spending the effort to find those other possibilities is more important than the end result itself. So that's why I believe there's a possibility that we'll all survive from this and that I'll be fighting for it once I find it."

"Besides, as morbid as it was, what we watched will help us I'm sure. We learned and seen things we otherwise might've not known." He continued. "You're one of the best soldiers out there Mukuro, if not, the best. You said before that once you know the enemy fully, you can easily defeat them. And so, I believe in you Mukuro, and I hope you can believe in yourself as well."

Mukuro stared at Makoto in awe. His words, his tone….it's so different from her sister's. Instead of eyes filled with despair, it's filled with hope. Instead of a tone of cruelty, there's limitless kindness in his tone. Instead of a crazed smile on a fake mask, it's a genuine smile that could light up the darkest hearts.

But can she truly believe in herself? Could she have faith in herself? "...I'll think about what you said." Mukuro told him, a small smile on her face. "Thank you, Makoto."

Makoto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Anything to help a friend out." The luckster then stood up. "If you need someone to talk to, let me know. I'll be here to listen."

With that, Makoto went to the door. But before he got out of the room, a question came to mind. "By the way," He spoke up, getting Mukuro's attention once more. "How's Junko taking it?"

At that question, Mukuro had to fight back the tears once more. "She….was sad and horrified." Mukuro said, telling a half-truth. "But I wouldn't worry about her. She'll bounce back quickly. She always does."

That a got chuckle from Makoto. "Yeah, she sure does." Finally, Makoto left the room, leaving Mukuro to her thoughts.

As the door closed, a thought struck Mukuro.

" _It's ironic isn't it? He's in no physical way anywhere close to being a soldier and yet, he's already more of a soldier than I am... I fought to get stronger, while he fights to help others... almost protecting them... Huh. Soldiers fighting to protect...?"_

A small smile slowly slipped out as Mukuro seemed to come to realize something. Makoto could be someone to fight for, someone to prove her loyalty to, someone to protect. He's the first person to show compassion to her, to smile at her, to see her as more than just a soldier. He's the first person she ever befriended, had an interest in outside of her tiny world, the first person she ever fell in love with.

The smile quickly faded as she was soon faced with a very scary dilemma

Should she do it? She looked down at her Fenrir tattoo on the back of her hand, the wolf staring back at her as if it would follow her no matter what happened.

Should she tell Makoto about everything? Reveal herself as a traitor to him?

(With Kyoko)

Sitting on the bed of her room in darkness save for the small desk lamp next to her, Kyoko reviewed the notes she had written. After reviewing them, she began doing what she does best. Finding the truth in a sea of lies and contradictions.

But so far, she couldn't think of anything that could give her at least a probable theory as to what happened to Hope's Peak. Of why the mastermind wiped their memories and forced them to kill each other. And there's also the small mysteries to worry about as well, such as Mukuro disguising herself.

Kyoko's eyes narrowed in thought at that. Now that she's thinking about it, why would Mukuro still be wearing that disguise? If their memories were erased, then they shouldn't know why she's wearing it.

Maybe Mukuro's instincts is telling her to keep up the guise. Their memories may have been wiped, but not their instincts. But she still can't help but feel that it was still very odd of her to do so.

She sighed. Best to let it go for now. It really isn't possible for Mukuro to be the mastermind, considering Monokuma killed her in the first place.

Her thoughts then went to the mastermind. Honestly, the only named suspect for the mastermind is Yasuke Matsuda, but he could also only be associated with them. Worst of all, there weren't any indications that the mastermind was just one person. It could have been a whole group for all she knows.

Another sigh left her and she rubbed her temples in frustration. She doesn't have enough information to figure out anything. She couldn't even narrow down any of the theories yet. They needed to find out what exactly happened to Hope's Peak, what happened before their memories were wiped, to get an even stronger theory for the hows and whys.

Well, there were still some chapters left to go through. Hopefully, they'll be able to find the truth.

(With Makoto)

After talking to Leon and Mukuro, Makoto finally got back to his room. He took a bite at the sandwich he got from the break room as he began thinking about what he witnessed. Knowing there was a lot to think about, he started with the motives they saw.

He's honestly scared at what he witnessed. Knowing that his family might've been in possible danger, might still be in danger, or even….dead, terrified him. It made him want to see his mom and dad, to see Komaru again, just to reassure himself that they're fine. That they aren't hurt in anyway. ' _Calm down, Makoto.'_ He thought in his head, as he nearly choked on the sandwhich and taking some deep breaths afterwards.

Taking another bite of his sandwich, his thoughts then went to Monokuma. Honestly, the thought of that mechanical, sadistic, maniacal bear made his blood boil. He wiped their memories, told them to kill each other in order to get out, pushed them to that choice, and then mocked them when it happened. He took Mukuro's and Leon's lives with glee, and forced them to basically agree to kill Leon. And the worst part? It's only the first chapter. How many more were going to follow?

It made Makoto think if there's anything else that could make him hate Monokuma even more. Anything else that would fuel his ire at the monochrome bear. Once again, he took some deep breaths, to calm down his anger.

Taking one last bite of his small supper, his thoughts went to the three deaths he was forced to witness. Sayaka's, Mukuro's, and Leon's.

Seeing Sayaka with a knife embedded in her stomach made him want to scream. Thinking about Mukuro getting skewered drained all the color in his body, made him want to faint. Thinking about Leon's execution made him want to puke the sandwich in his stomach. Those three were one of his closest friends, with Hina, Kyoko, and Chihiro on the list as well. How could he not be horrified at seeing their deaths in the future?

And the worst part of it was how it all began.

With that thought, he finally got to the thing that troubled him the most. Sayaka's betrayal. He avoided thinking about it for a while, because whenever he did, several emotions flooded his mind. But now that he's alone, he can deal with it.

Finding out that Sayaka was planning to kill after the motive was a shock. Finding out that she had planned to frame him for it was a punch to the heart. Thinking that she was unsure of her decision, and that she might've sent the dying message to clear his name, is hardly comforting. It still hurts that she chose to use him like that, the pain lingering as if mocking him for being so naive.

A part of him wondered if he could still trust her. Wondered if she would do the same thing, regardless of the time they spent with each other. A smaller part even wondered if she's just pretending to be his friend now.

Yet, with all these thoughts in his head….the thought of pushing her away, of throwing away their friendship, pains him. Despite her future self's betrayal, he couldn't stay angry or afraid of her. He still cared deeply for her. The fact that he wanted to hug and comfort her when she was crying proved that.

At that thought, he immediately removed the possibility of whether she was pretending to be his friend or not. If that was the case, she wouldn't look so heartbroken. The guilt, the sorrow, it all looked so real. She couldn't have faked that, rather, no one could fake something like that.

The luckster sighed. He knew that her future self's betrayal would linger in his head for a while. The entire killing game itself will stay in his head for a long while. But he wants to trust her again. To stay friends with her. To give her another chance. The thought of resenting her, pushing her away, and ignoring her pained him.

Still, he needs to think on it longer. Maybe he could sleep on it. However he quickly shook it off. There's no doubt Sayaka is still suffering from what they saw, and he felt guilty for letting her feel this way. He couldn't put if it off until the morning. He needs to make a decision tonight. And so, he got up from his bed with an uncertain heart, but determined eyes.

(With Sayaka)

It's been hours since they finished chapter 1 of their future. Of Danganronpa, as it was called. All throughout that hour, Sayaka had curled up in her bed, just….thinking.

She didn't need to ask herself why her future self did the things she did. She already knew. It was to protect her dream, get her career back. She worked so hard to get there, and just the thought of losing it made her freeze.

No, the question on her mind is what she would do now, if she were in the same situation, with the memories of Makoto, Leon, Hina, and all of her classmates still there. Would she have stopped herself? Or would she have continued? Would she have sacrificed everyone's lives for that dream?

She thought about what her classmates would think of her actions. If her intuition is correct, and they almost always are, many of them would have a hard time understanding her situation. Kyoko and Mukuro would most likely hold a grudge over her, since the two held Makoto dear to them like she does. Hina would be conflicted about it while Byakuya, Celeste, and Sakura may be more understanding. Hiro and Hifumi wouldn't even bother trying to figure anything out.

And Leon? She curled up tighter, trying desperately to hold the tears. There are probably a number of things he's thinking right now. Why he killed her, why she decided to kill him, what did she do wrong, and more. Leon was probably angry at her, at the class, at Monokuma, and at himself. She couldn't blame him for being angry at her. She caused his death in the first place.

And Makoto….the thought of her dear friend, her crush, finally got the tears to leak out again. Their talk earlier is still ringing in her ears. She honestly couldn't blame him for feeling the way he does. She wouldn't blame him if he decided to not trust her anymore. Still, that thought pains her to no end.

' _So, now you know how much you would sacrifice to keep your dream.'_ A voice spoke in her head once again. ' _Question is, are you going to change that? Or going to keep your career above all of your friends?'_

At that question, Sayaka's self loathing mind froze. It was an excellent question, and she couldn't help but think on it. Could she change that? Change her priorities, so that she wouldn't betray and sacrifice her friends? The idea seemed almost impossible to her. Her career, her idol friends, she did almost everything to keep those things in her adolescence life. It was the sole reason that she's fought so hard in her life so far. Is it even possible to lower that priority?

Before she could think more on it, she heard a knock on the door. Sayaka looked in its direction with slight surprise before slowly getting up and walking over to it. Who would still be up this late at night?

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see that Makoto was standing there. "M-Makoto?"

Makoto half-smiled apologetically. "Sorry if you were asleep, but... I wanted to talk to you."

Sayaka shook her head. "No, don't worry." She looked down. "After what we saw, and our talk….I couldn't get to sleep." She winced at the guilty expression on his face. She didn't intended to make him feel guilty.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that," He said guiltily. "I didn't really want to hurt you, but, I just couldn't ignore what we saw."

"No, no, it's okay Makoto." Sayaka reassured quickly. "I don't blame you thinking about it. I know I deserved that."

Makoto couldn't disagree on that, but didn't want to agree on it either. So he just stayed silent at that. "So umm...Can I come in?" The luckster asked her. "So that we can talk?"

Sayaka was nervous and scared. What is he going to say? That he can no longer trust her? That he's breaking ties with her? Scenario after bad scenario played out in her head, though she couldn't imagine him being angry or violent. Makoto's gentle nature doesn't fit anger or violence, even when she saw him angry at Monokuma. "S-Sure."

With that, the idol let the lucky student in the room. The two of them sat on the bed together, both of them being silent for a moment. Makoto was the first to talk.

"I've been thinking a lot about we saw….about what your future self did." She winced once again.

"I can't condemn you or get angry at you about it. After all, it was your future self that did it, not you yourself." Makoto continued softly. "Still, I can't ignore that in that situation, you would've betrayed me no matter what I said. I….can't get off the idea that you would do the same thing if were put in that situation now, without the memory wipe."

Sayaka has her eyes shut and teeth clenched by now. Here we go. He's going to break off their friendship. Severe the bond the two share with each other.

"But, even with those thoughts in my head, I... have decided to keep my trust in you." Sayaka snapped her head towards him in shock. He smiled softly at her. "I'm not gonna let something that has theoretically happened, take away everything we've done together, our friendship, our bond."

Sayaka stared at him in shock. He's….forgiving her? He still trusts her? Slowly, tears build up in her red eyes before she flung herself onto Makoto, causing the luckster to yelp in surprise. Before he could panic, she began crying. "I...Thank you….thank you so much, Makoto!" She muffled into his shoulder in between her sobbing.

Immediately, his kind nature kicked and he wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. The guilt that was plaguing him faded away, but some still lingered for causing her like this. However, he's glad that he decided to keep their friendship. If they're gonna go through this, then they should be doing it together, not doing it against each other. Otherwise, it would be like being in that killing game.

As Sayaka cried into his shoulder, she learned a very important lesson. Friendship bonds were irreplaceable. Nothing should be above them, not even her career. From now on, nothing would make her break this sweet boy's trust in her. And she will have to show that loyalty to the rest of her friends as well.

She won't ever put her friends and loved ones below her career.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. After some thinking, I decided to end it here. Need some more time to think on how I should do the morning, so the morning part of the break will be alongside the beginning of chapter 2. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **Questions and inQuiries section! *Not too many questions this time but there's a lot of "I wish _ happens or is added in here* - Glad everyone's enjoying this alot!**

 **Q: In what sequence will you be doing the following stories? (Class 77, etc)  
S: I'll be doing them in release date order**

 **Q: Will you do any of the novels?  
S: No.  
L: :(**

 **Q:Will Ryota or Chisa be a part of class 77 since they're technically a part of it?  
S: I'm not going to confirm whether they'll be a part of the class or not.**

 **Q:Will the V3 cast meet them?  
S: That's way too far down the line for me to even consider it.  
**

 **L: As much as everyone's excited for any plans for future stories, let's try and keep questions and stuff related to this current story for now. Spirit's got a lot on his hands already :)**


	25. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P1

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Apologies for the taking longer than usual to write the chapter. Storm hit the wifi on the week before August, and was a bit stuck on the morning scene. Had to rewrite a couple of times until I was satisfied with the results. Hopefully, the quality is still good like the rest of the chapters. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

Chapter 24: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair

"Is that a buffet in the living room?" Was the first question that was asked when the ultimate students entered the living room. True to Hina's question, there was a breakfast buffet completely set up with dishes ranging from japanese cuisine to western classics.

"I assume Spirit was the one to set it up." Byakuya responded, walking into the room. He didn't bother to answer Hina's question, when the answer is obvious. "The question should be why, though?"

"To save you all the hassle of having to go to the break room to eat, then having to come back here." Speaking of their host, he came out from the break room, wearing the same suit as yesterday with several pitchers of different drinks floating around him.

Everyone expressed their own shock and incredibility when they saw the floating pitchers around him, even the more stoic ones were both clearly impressed and surprised.

"Wha-Whaaaaat?!" Hifumi screamed in shock. "How?! How is that possible?!"

"Mass teleportation isn't the only skill I possess." Spirit stated with an amused smirk. "I got more than a few tricks up my sleeves."

"Yeah, I bet." Junko stated, mouth agape. While this isn't as shocking as being warped from one point to another in an instant, it was still pretty surprising to see. ' _Okay, if I send Mukuro after this guy, she might need the element of surprise on her side….'_

The group continued staring at Spirit as he began to set up the drinks right behind the food and placed a stack of cups in front of them. Feeling the gaze of everyone behind him, he turned to the group. "You can stop staring now." He dryly said. "Go ahead and start eating. Once everyone gets down here, we'll start the next chapter of Danganronpa."

His words drew everyone back to reality, though a bit of dread filled them all. Well, all except for Junko. To get their minds off of it for now, they went to the couches and started eating. Hina squealed at the sight of donuts and immediately made her way over, quickly filling her plate with them.

As Byakuya got his plate, he spoke up. "So, we're waiting for Kyoko, Sayaka, Leon, Makoto, Toko, and Mukuro. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that would be correct." Celeste confirmed, sipping a cup of tea. "I would prefer it if they didn't take too long."

Meanwhile, Kyoko was standing in front of Sayaka's room. Last night in her own room, she decided to confront Sayaka about what her future self did to Makoto. Even if Makoto decided to forgive her, and it's most likely that he did, Kyoko wasn't as forgiving. She wanted to make it clear to Sayaka that she will be watching her from now on.

Before she could even knock, however, the door swung open. But instead of the expected Sayaka, it was Makoto. "K-Kyoko?!" The boy's eyes widened in shock at seeing the detective.

Kyoko, while a little surprised, maintained her usual composure. "Good morning, Makoto." Kyoko greeted. "May I speak with Sayaka?"

Her request snapped Makoto out of his initial shock. "Um, y-yeah, sure." The luckster quickly walked out of the room, but not before turning back towards Sayaka. "Do you want me to wait for you?"

"No, it's okay. I'll catch up with you." Sayaka reassured. "Go on ahead." Makoto smiled and nodded before heading his way. As he walked past Kyoko with a nod as well, she took the opportunity to come in and close the door.

"I assume that Makoto has forgiven you then?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Sayaka laughed slightly at that. "He really is predictable, huh?" She said softly. "Still, I'm kinda surprised he actually did, considering his reaction yesterday."

"You underestimate his naive and forgiving nature." Kyoko responded. She walked to the empty chair at the desk. "Even when hurt badly by his friends, he would forgive them. Remember the time his luck forced him to stumble into a sparring session between Mukuro and Sakura, and Mukuro landed a solid kick into his stomach?"

That got another bout of light laughter from Sayaka. "Mukuro tried to stop it last second but he still flew right into Sakura. Poor Mukuro couldn't stop apologizing after that, even when Makoto already forgiven her countless times." Sayaka sighed. "He's a very sweet guy, that's for sure. I don't think he's ever able to hold grudges."

"Indeed." Kyoko turned the chair around to the side before sitting down. "While it's endearing, it could put him in danger of getting hurt again."

Sayaka looked down, her smile fading. "No arguing against that." She said. "Is that why you're here?"

Kyoko nodded, her ice cold mask on. "I'll be frank. After what we've seen, you clearly can't be trusted." She stated bluntly "While I do understand that the situation you were put in, betraying someone else's trust is something I absolutely cannot tolerate. Especially when that person is someone as innocent as Makoto."

Sayaka winced at her words. "But since it was only your future self that committed it and not you yourself, I'll only give you a warning." Kyoko's eyes narrowed a bit further, and she spoke with a more firm tone. "If it happens again, don't expect to be let off so lightly."

Sayaka knew that it wasn't a threat. Whenever Kyoko puts her mind to something, she's going to do it. But, surprisingly, she wasn't scared or intimidated by Kyoko's cold stare. "I don't blame you for not trusting me." She said softly, staring at her clasped hands that rested on her lap. "To be fair, I'm having trouble trusting myself too."

Then she raised her head. "But despite him having all rights to distrust me, he decided to give me a second chance. And I intend to honour that because I learned something from all this. It's a promise I made to myself. Nothing will ever be as important as the people who stand beside me. Not even my career. I don't know how I could have been blind to something so simple before, but you can have my word for that."

The two girls maintained a silent standoff for a moment; determined ocean blue eyes stared into their cold purple counterparts, neither yielding to the other.

After assessing Sayaka for a bit, Kyoko finally responded. "We'll see if your words holds true." With that, Kyoko got up and left the room.

(With Makoto)

After getting a fresh pair of clothes and freshening up a bit, Makoto went on his way downstairs for breakfast. He managed to met up with Mukuro during his detour and the two of them made their way to the living room.

As they walked side by side, Mukuro frequently looked over at Makoto with conflict in her eyes. She still doesn't know if she should reveal everything to him yet, reveal herself as a traitor. After all, she doesn't know how he would react to it. He reacted badly when he found out Sayaka attempted to frame him in the future. How would he do if he finds out she's a spy for the mastermind? Not to mention that the mastermind was Junko.

Would he be angry or afraid of her? What would happen between them after that? Would he even accept what she tells him, if she decides to tell him, to be true? There were so many questions outside her expertise as a soldier, and her lack of knowledge in socializing only made her feel worse.

In the end, she decided to keep silent on it. The decision isn't something she could make overnight, and patience often had its rewards. Maybe opportunity will present itself sometime later.

When the two walked into the living room, Makoto nearly jumped in surprise while Mukuro merely raised a brow in slight admiration at seeing the breakfast buffet. "Good morning, Makoto, Muku~." Junko waved at the two of them. "Spirit decided to set up breakfast here today, isn't it amazing?"

"Oh." Makoto looked towards Spirit. "Well, thank you Spirit."

The host shrugged. "It's pretty simple for me. No big deal, really." He pointed to the couches and recliners. "Go take a seat and eat. Once everybody's down here and eating, we'll be continuing from where we left off."

Makoto nodded. "Right." Makoto then went to the couch he was at before. Without thinking, Mukuro followed him and sat right beside him. Junko noticed her change of seats right away.

"Hey Muku~, aren't you in the wrong seat?" Junko asked her curiously. Mukuro blinked as she slowly registered her sister's question, and after having realized where she's actually at, she blushed and quickly went back to the recliner she sat in the day before. Makoto sweatdropped as he watched the soldier scuffle away.

"Um, you didn't have to move Mukuro. I didn't mind you sitting here." Makoto said. The soldier, still blushing, shook her head.

"N-No, it's alright. I'm fine here." Mukuro insisted. "Besides, Kyoko, Sayaka, and Leon were sitting there, right? I wouldn't want to force them to find another seat."

"Okay then. If you insist." Makoto then went over the table to get some food. As he did, Celeste and Hina looked at the couch with temptation in their eyes.

The empty couch that Makoto sat on was practically inviting them to move over. But for Celeste, she didn't want to give up a seat she got all for herself while Hina didn't want to leave Sakura alone. In the end, they both stayed where they were.

A moment later, Kyoko came down the stairs and silently sat beside Makoto once again, at the edge of the couch. Her face didn't betray any sign of shock or surprise as she walked past the magically set up breakfast buffet. Toko was the one who came next, her arms wrapped around herself defensively and her body shaking.

It drew some curious looks. "What's the matter Toko? Bad dream?" Chihiro asked in concern.

"N-No. The bathing is still f-fresh in my m-mind." Toko stuttered out, sitting down on her recliner. "I-I can't get the m-memories o-out of my head."

Hina sighed in exasperation. "Come on Toko, the bath wasn't that bad."

"Sh-Shut it, you p-perverted swimmer."

Hina blushed. "I-I'm not perverted!"

"You r-rubbed your hands a-all over m-me."

"You refused to take a proper bath! You had to get bathed somehow!"

Makoto couldn't help but blush in embarrassment from what he's hearing. Chihiro had the same reaction whille Celeste and Junko giggled in amusement. Sakura simply sighed in exasperation, and Hifumi looks a bit too interested.

"Toko, Hina, this is not something you should be talking about in front of us!" Taka scolded. "Spare us the details of what happened in the bathroom!"

"Don't say it like that!" Hina protested, her face burning red.

Hifumi then spoke up. "Um, actually, could you give us more details?" A perverted look entered his eyes. "Such as, how and where you bathe her?"

Hina and Toko felt their spines crawl at the perverted look. But before anyone could say anything, a baseball smashed into the side of Hifumi's head. "Ow!"

"Seriously, dude? It's too early in the day to start being perverted." Everyone turned to see Leon walking down the stairs. He waved weakly at them. "Yo."

"Morning, Leon." Makoto waved at him from his seat. "How are you feeling?"

"Somewhat better. Still kinda shitty, though." Leon sighed, which then turned into a yawn. "Could feel worse. Might actually even qualify for being dead from lack of sleep." He then took notice of the breakfast buffet in the living room. "Um, why is breakfast over here?" He asked as he pointed his finger accusingly at the tables.

"Spirit set it up." Kyoko answered. "Once everyone is here, we'll be continuing from where we left off while we eat."

"Oh. Cool. Don't mind if I do." Leon went to the other side of the couch and grabbed some food. "So, the last person we're waiting for is Sayaka?"

Makoto nodded. "Yeah. She should be here soon."

Sure enough, Sayaka got here under a minute later. "Good morning." Sayaka greeted softly. She looked around to see breakfast on the table. "We're going to be eating here?"

"Hey, Sayaka. And yeah. We'll be watching our future while eating breakfast." He looked at her curiously. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry. Took a shower since I didn't take one yesterday." Sayaka moved towards the couch Kyoko, Makoto, and Leon sat at before hesitantly sitting down. She glanced at Leon nervously, wondering what he's thinking right now.

Once Spirit saw that everyone has gathered, he produced the remote control out of nowhere and pointed it at the large tv. "Alright, then. Everyone ready to start?" His question was met with silence. Honestly, most of them didn't think they could handle another chapter or didn't want to keep going, especially after what they've already seen.

Kyoko noticed the hesitancy and dread from her classmates and sighed. "We can't delay it any longer. And we definitely can't stop. Otherwise, the killing game will be almost certain to happen." Kyoko looked towards Spirit. "So go ahead and play it."

Spirit nodded and turned on the TV.

 **When the TV turned on, Makoto was standing in front of the bathroom, seemingly hesitant to open the door. As he slowly turned the knob and opened it, he was bewildered to find that any trace of what has happened has disappeared. "It's gone…." He whispered.**

Sayaka, who tensed up when Makoto entered into the bathroom, was surprised along with everyone else, to see any trace of her future self gone. "Um, what happened to Sayaka's body?" Hiro asked.

"Monokuma must have cleaned up the body either during or after the trial." Kyoko easily deduced. "Considering there's several more Monokumas on stand by, it wouldn't be a difficult task."

 **He walked inside the bathroom, realizing everything was exactly like it was before Sayaka's murder. He placed his hand on the spot where she wrote her last message, looking for something, anything to prove that she was here.** ' _ **She….she really is gone. Almost like….there was never anything there to begin with. Every last sign of Sayaka's existence has disappeared without a trace….'**_

That last line shook Sayaka a little. To disappear, to have no trace of her existence….it was the main part of her fear when her idol career skyrocketed.

By instinct, Makoto squeezed her hand and squeezed it in reassurance. She held on tightly, taking some deep breaths.

" **It's just like he said…." Makoto mumbled out loud. Right after he said that, a flashback of the remaining students going to the elevator was shown.**

 **Before they could go in, however, Monokuma popped up once again. "Oh, I almost forgot!" The bear got the students' attention. "Since the class trial is over, I'll go ahead and dispose of all the corpses!" Several eyes widened at that. "It's okay, no need to thank me! Just seeing your delighted, smiling faces is thanks enough for me! After all, nobody wants to look at a rotting corpse every day! That can't be good for your health…." He ended with his usual laughter before disappearing once more.**

His words, as usual, angered most of them. "He doesn't have the decency to treat the dead with respect and let us mourn properly?" Taka exclaimed in anger.

"Oh come on! I get that we can't get out, but we could at least have some sort of ceremony!" Hiro whined, holding his head. "Otherwise, Sayaka's, Mukuro's, and Leon's ghosts might haunt us all!"

"I do agree that they need a proper ceremony for the dead." Sakura stated, her face clearly stating that she's angry.

Makoto looked down and bawled up his free fist. The bear was purposely making sure that they had no time to mourn any of their friends. Beside him, Sayaka felt a bit dehumanized. While being an idol does get you treated like a doll from time to time, she was still a human being. No one deserves something like that.

Mukuro, however, looked a bit conflicted. She understood that mourning the dead was a custom to most societies, even Fenrir had certain practices and ceremonies after battles to honour the dead. But they never meant anything to her, it was just another set of rules she followed for the sake of following rules. Was she supposed to feel something?

"Unfortunately, they don't even have the time to mourn the dead." Byakuya said crisply. "There still trapped inside the building, and the killing game is still happening. The only way to have time to mourn the dead is if they get out of here." None of the more spiritual and/or moral classmates looked happy to hear that, but they didn't say anything else for now.

 **The scene went back to the present, with Makoto still looking around.** ' _ **The sick bastard didn't even give us time to mourn our dead.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **I keep pinching myself to see if I'm dreaming….but unfortunately, this is all real.'**_

Makoto's thoughts brought them all back to the situation they're all facing. Their future gave them no chance to grieve for their friends, to mourn them, to move on properly. It was a short scene, but surely enough, everyone understood the weight behind it.

"This type of thing is common in mangas." Hifumi said softly. "The main character not getting the chance to mourn their friends, having to continue on."

"I-It's the same in books, too. Horror, suspense, and tragedy mostly." Toko stated, momentarily losing her stuttering for now. Whenever she's talking about her talent and hobby, she feels more comfortable. "There's little to no time for the characters to grieve for the ones that died. But they usually manage to move on."

"It's exactly what Makoto needs to do right now." Celeste stated. "Like Byakuya said, they don't have time to mourn. They need to take time to find a way out of the school."

"As well as find out the mysteries that surrounds Hope's Peak." Kyoko added in.

Makoto took a deep breath before nodding in agreement. "Yeah. Hopefully, future me will have the strength to move on for now. And then he and the rest can grieve when they all get out of the school." Sayaka, momentarily forgetting the feeling of dehumanization, hoped future Makoto gets over her death as well. She doesn't want to become a burden to him, especially since he's still stuck in the school.

 **Slowly, the scene faded to black and faded back as it transitioned to Makoto entering the dining hall, where everyone else is at. "Sorry I'm late…."**

" **Hey….are you okay, Makoto?" Hina asked him in concern.**

" **You sure took your sweet time!" Taka scolded him. "I was just about to go get you and drag you back here!"**

"Holy smokes! You could at least show some concern for him Taka." Hina remarked with a small scowl. "He just lost Sayaka and found out she tried to frame him! Of course he wouldn't move around fast."

Taka ducked his head down in shame. "Yes, you're right. I really should consider someone else's feelings more." Honestly, he could see now that there should be a time where he should re-evaluate his….strict nature.

" **S-Sorry…."**

" **So? What happened?" Taka inquired. "Was your room fixed up and like he said? I imagine it would be pretty hard to sleep with a rotting corpse in your bathroom!"**

That got more than a few disbelieving looks, with Sayaka feeling especially offended. "Bro, that's a fucked up thing to say." Mondo said incredulously. "Why would your future self ever say that?"

Once again, Taka hung his head in shame. "I-It logically makes sense though..."

"Well, to be fair, he is right in some sense." Leon remarked.

Mondo looked at him with disbelief, as did a few others. "Jesus, that's still fucked up, man." The biker stated. "There's more to this world than just black and white dude."

 **Mondo looked at him in disbelief, as did a few others. "Jesus, that's fucked up, man." Mondo stated. "Why would you say something like that?"**

 **Slowly, Makoto spoke up. "My room was….spotless. There wasn't anything left. Like the whole thing….never happened."**

" **It must be tough staying there, knowing what happened." Sakura said sympathetically. "Why don't you just stay in Sayaka's room?"**

Makoto shook his head. "Her scent in the room would be just as big of a reminder, if not more so."

" **Well," Makoto began, looking down. "Staying there, with her scent still hanging in the air….that would hurt just as much. Plus," The luckster took a deep breath before continuing. "I've decided I can't turn away from her death."**

" **M-Makoto…." Hina said hesitantly. "Hey, cheer up! Getting depressed isn't gonna help anything, right? If we all work together, I'm sure we'll find a way out of here! So everyone just….try and cheer up and get back on track!"**

Makoto smiled. "Even after what happened, you try hard to stay positive Hina."

"Well, she's right after all. No use mopping around." Hina stated, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

"Glad to see you trying to cheer Makoto up." Sayaka said softly. "I don't want him being depressed over future me."

' _Though I don't think it will work on everyone.'_ Byakuya thought to himself. He himself knew that he'll probably feel cynical about their odds of surviving and escaping together.

 **Right after, Byakuya spoke up. "Is that honestly supposed to make us feel better?" The heir questioned.**

" **Huh?" Was Hina's response.**

" **We were already 'working' together and yet someone was still murdered." Byakuya pointed out cynically. "Anyone could betray us at this point. Now that it's happened once, it's a question of when, not if, the next one will take place."**

" **Yeah, because S-Sayaka made the first move…." Toko supported Byakuya's words causing Makoto to become more depressed.**

Sayaka flinched a little at that while several others frowned at Byakuya's and/or Toko's words. "What makes you think that's going to happen?" Hina asked angrily.

"Because, now that the first murder has happened, several of us will become paranoid, wondering if they'll be next." Byakuya pointed out with a sigh. "And if that's not enough, I'm sure Monokuma will come up with more motives to give us that desire to escape."

"Whether or not that statement is true, there's no need to voice such a pessimistic view." Sakura stated with a frown. "And was it necessary for Toko to point out what Sayaka did?"

"Yeah, that's really pouring salt on the wound." Hiro agreed. Toko merely looked away from all of them.

" **B-But," Hina protested. "If we work together against the mastermind, nobody'll have any reason to do something like that!"**

 **Byakuya scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that. I'll be over here in the real world." He remarked coldly. "Working together, fighting a common enemy….like it or not, it's not that simple."**

"What does he mean by that?" Hina asked in confusion and anger. "Why can't it be that simple?"

"I'm fairly sure someone will ask that question." Celeste said. "And that someone will explain."

" **...What do you mean?" Hifumi asked hesitantly.**

 **Celeste was the one to answer that. "The mastermind seems to be much more powerful than we ever suspected." She stated. "They took over Hope's Peak, which was supposed to be well defended, then modified it to fit their desires. In addition to that, they created Monokuma, which seems to be an incredibly advanced bot, as well as having the resources to provide for our every need."**

" **And the cherry on top is the execution we witnessed." Celeste continued on. "Everything has been planned down to the last excruciating detail.** **This is not the work of your everyday psychopath. Defying them may be too smart of a choice…."**

"Celeste brings up a good case." Kyoko stated with a small frown. "The mastermind does seem more powerful than we had previously thought. All the things she mentioned are solid points."

"So we'll have to ask ourselves this: What are we going to do once we find out who the mastermind is? What will we be facing?" Celeste stated. "Stopping the future doesn't really sound so simple now compared to when we first started."

"Still, we can't give up!" Hina stated stubbornly. "Neither will our future selves! What else could they suppose to do?"

"If there were other good options, I would've mentioned them by now." Byakuya scoffed.

" **Then….what are we supposed to do?" Sakura asked.**

" **Anyone who truly does want to escape….will just have to follow the rules." Byakuya answered. "In which case, the only option is to deceive those around you, and win the game."**

"Byakuya!" Makoto gasped in shock. The others were surprised as well. "Why would you say something like that?"

"I agree. It's unlike you to give up like that." Kyoko stated. "You're not the type to bend towards the enemies' rules."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes at the screen. "Yes. That's what I'm trying to figure out." Why is his future self blatantly accepting this? There must be a reason behind it. He'd never simply comply to some twisted game like that. Perhaps he might be planning something next? Or, could it be that he's simply bored and that we wanted to try to make things interesting? Byakuya mentally shook his head at that last thought. Being bored should be the last thing on his mind, there was so much more happening right now.

 **Someone spoke against that. "N-No…." Everyone turned to Chihiro, who had been silently crying at the table she's sitting at.**

" **No what?" Byakuya questioned harshly.**

" **I don't want to live….if it means killing someone else." Chihiro stated tearfully. "I don't want kill anyone else….!"**

"Huh? Anyone else?" Leon asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, in case I'm missing something, Leon was the only one that killed somebody." Hiro said, also confused. Chihiro merely stayed silent, knowing her future self will explain.

" **Anyone….else?" Hiro slowly repeated in confusion. "What do you mean?"**

" **Leon died because we voted for him, right?" Chihiro asked them, guilt clearly evident in her voice. "It's no different from us killing him ourselves!"**

The group was a bit startled to hear Chihiro saying that, though not much. Makoto turned to the programmer. "Chihiro, do you feel the same way?"

Chihiro nodded, tears building up in her eyes. "We sent him to his death. We gave Monokuma our approval to kill him by voting for him." The programmer said guiltily. "We are as responsible for his death as Leon himself is for Sayaka's."

"B-But….if we didn't do it, Monokuma would've killed us all!" Hiro protested.

" **B-But…." Was all Hiro could say at the moment, a bit pale.**

" **If we hadn't voted for him, then we all woulda died instead, right….?" Hina pointed out. "That isn't what you wanted, is it….?"**

"See? Hina agrees with me!"

"And Chihiro, like Hina asked, would you really want to everyone else to die while Leon himself lives?" Sakura asked her softly. The programmer couldn't say anything to that, tears slowly going down her cheek as a conflicted expression dawn on her face.

 **Chihiro stayed silent, the tears still running down her face. "She's right." Hifumi spoke up. "If you heap that kind of blame on yourself, you'll turn into a full-fledged masochist."**

"Seriously, Hifumi?" Leon deadpanned. "You have to say the last part?"

"Well, I'm just making sure we don't have another masochist?"

"Chihiro is not a Toko, fatty. Don't compare anyone to her."

That earned a venomous glare from the writer. "A-And no one wants to be a-an indecisive b-baseball player." Toko hissed. She briefly thought calling him a murderer, but decided against it. She isn't THAT mean.

 **Again, Chihiro stayed silent. This time, Makoto brought it upon himself to speak to the programmer. "Chihiro, listen…." The luckster said softly, gaining her attention. "You're not to blame. Not you, not Leon, and not Sayaka. The mastermind is responsible for everything that's happened."**

" **We had no choice but to vote. I can't even imagine what would've happened to us if we'd refused." Makoto continued. "And in the end, it was Monokuma who ultimately killed Leon! So don't waste your anger on yourself….instead, direct it at the mastermind!"**

"Yet another empowering speech!" Taka stated in admiration. "Makoto sure has a talent for it!"

"I have to agree. He seems to have an born talent for inspirational speeches." Celeste agreed with the moral compass.

Chihiro looked at Makoto hesitantly. "Do….Do you really think that's true?" Chihiro asked him.

The luckster took a deep breath before speaking. "Yes, Chihiro. But I don't just think it. I know it." He stated. "I won't hold blame on anyone, except for the one hosting this sick game in the first place."

Tears formed in Sayaka eyes once again, but she manage to keep them at bay. Despite what they've seen, despite knowing that her decision was a conscious one….Makoto still didn't blame her, not even a little.

Still, she can't help but feel somewhat responsible for this. For starting this conflict in the first place. She hopes that this won't snowball into a blood bath.

Chihiro silently assessed Makoto's words. Is he right? Is the mastermind ultimately to blame? Should they not feel responsible at all for Leon's death?

 **Chihiro looked to be pondering Makoto's speech a little. But before she could do so for long, the school bell rung around the school. "Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 10 p.m. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited."**

" **Oh, and one other thing…." Monokuma added. "It as totally obvious before that you were trying to make yourselves feel better and justify what you did. See you, see you, don't see you, see you! That's about how much I can see you, even when you try to hide! Now pay attention and remember this well!"**

" **The burden of judging others is a heavy one to bear. So be well aware of your actions!" The bear stated. "Order and stability relies on the sacrifice and responsibility of everyone! Okay then….sweet dreams everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite…." With that, the announcement ended.**

Mondo was the first to speak. "Is he fucking with us? He's seriously fucking blaming us for Leon's goddamn murder?"

"Wow. That's just plain on mean." Hiro sighed.

"Um, it's more than mean!" Hina remarked with a scowl. "How could he blame us for something he did?!" Chihiro looked down, the guilt latching itself back on.

' _Junko loves to put the blame on other people. Not keeping any of the liability to herself.'_ Mukuro thought to herself. Junko would find some way, any way to make people feel like it's their fault for anything that happens, even when she ultimately forced them to do so or pushed them towards that decision.

Makoto looked down, clenching his fist. "He doesn't have a right to judge us!" He said angrily. "Not when he forcing us into this!"

 **When it ended, Toko was the first to speak. "What w-was that just n-now….?" She cried out in distress.**

" **Was he saying it's our fault what happened? That's pretty cruel, man…." Hiro sighed.**

" **That piece of shit! Who does he think he is?!" Mondo growled. Makoto, along with the others, stayed silent.**

"But isn't he right?" Chihiro asked them. "Shouldn't we take responsibility for what happened to Leon?"

"I might have to agree with Chihiro here." Junko sighed. "Pushing the blame onto the psycho bear seems like the easy way out to me. None of you guys feel guilty about what to Leon?" She asked nonchalantly.

Makoto looked down, visible anguish in his eyes. "I do." Makoto said, a little guilt seeping in his voice. "I do feel guilty for killing him. But if we keep blaming ourselves for something that's out of our control, then we'll eventually get consumed in our despair."

"Still sounds like an excuse to me."

"Then tell us, what else could we have done?" That question came from Kyoko. "Tell us, what other options was there for us to do at that time? We would very like to hear it."

That got Junko silent. Kyoko nodded. "Nothing. I thought so." She narrowed her eyes at Junko. "And don't take this personally Junko, but your future self isn't there. You don't have a right to judge our actions right now."

"Okay, okay. Sorry. Jeez." Junko apologized, rubbing her head sheepishly. "Just thought I would point something out, that's all." She mentally giggled at getting on Kyoko's nerves for a second there.

"Well it ain't helping." Mondo growled before turning to the guilty programmer. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey Chihiro, listen to Makoto. Don't eat yourself up about this. Otherwise, you're might end up in that deep fucking pit."

Chihiro looked up at Mondo for a moment before nodding. "I-I'll try." She smiled. "Thank you, Mondo. You too, Makoto." The luckster and biker nodded.

 **The scene switched to everyone going back into their rooms. "And so, the day drew to a close," Narrator Makoto began. "A tense, maddening day that saw the deaths of three classmates. Sayaka, Junko, and Leon…." Pictures of each one of them was shown, all smiling happily.**

" **But….this is just the beginning," The narrator continued. "Our despair has only just begun….!"**

That send chills down everyone's back. The haunting tone in Makoto's voice, the weariness, it made their spines shake. "O-Only the b-beginning?" Toko said fearfully. "H-How much w-worse could it get?"

"We're going to have to see." Celeste stated. "Hopefully, it isn't as bad as we think."

"Knowing how bad it is right now, I don't think it's gonna get any better." Hifumi moaned.

Guilt seeped through Sayaka once more. This is her fault. She started this. Her future self's choice is leading everyone to despair. How many of her friends are going to die because of her?

Makoto could see the guilt in her eyes. Not wanting her to keep blame herself, he squeezed her hand again, causing Sayaka to look at him. He gave her a smile, silently telling her to not blame herself. Sayaka silently smiled in response. While her future self caused this, she will make sure that will she stay loyal to her friends. Loyal to Makoto.

Chihiro clenched her hands on top of her knees, her mind racing at all the possibilities. How many more are going to die? How many will commit murder and get executed because of it? How many will she have to vote to kill?

How long will it last? How many chapters do they have? How many people will survive? The questions kept piling in her head, and there's nothing she could do to stop them. But one question rang through her head the most: How much worse will it get?

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Again, sorry for the longer wait than usual. And again, I hope the quality makes up for it. It's hard to think what's too much, what's too little, and if this is how they would react. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Also partly my fault too! Just finished a final this morning and started editing this as soon as I finished lunch.**

 **Questions and inQuiries:**

 **Q: Do you upload on a schedule?  
S: No, I don't have a schedule, though I do try to update this as daily as I could.  
** **L: There's no set schedule, but knowing Spirit, he's pretty consistent at sending me the docs to edit. I'd say a fair time frame would be around a week and a half per chapter, and then it depends on when I receive it. If I receive it on a work day (mostly weekends), I usually lay off of it since I'm too brain-dead to effectively work so if that happens, it'll delay the release of a chapter by one or two days. Otherwise, I pretty much am able to get them done the same day Spirit sends it to me.**

 **Q: Does this take place before the student council game?  
L: Generally, this happens before Junko makes any moves to enact the tragedy. If you want a more specific time point, FredFuchs86 made a point in one of his earlier reviews: **" **the Tragedy happened a year after class 78 started attending Hope's Peak. So, I should say this fic takes place near the first half of the first year. DR1 spans from 22 to 23 days. That's less than a month, and Naegi was able to grow a strong enough connection with the other survivors. That was because of the despair being used as a catalyst, but nevertheless Naegi would've needed a few months to bring everyone together. And I bet Enoshima's plans for despair would've been carried out in the second half."**

 **Q: Will there be more interactions between the students aside from Makoto interacting with everyone?  
S: The interaction between Kyoko and Sayaka should answer that.  
L: I think there will be, so stay tuned!**

 **Q: Will those who are dead have a stronger reaction to future murders?  
S: We'll see as the story progresses.  
L: Stay tuned!  
**

 **Q: Will someone point out that they wear the exact same thing every day?  
S: Maybe, maybe not.  
L: If memory serves me right, at one point either in the game or the anime, someone mentions that the drawers in their room has multiples of the same outfit, hence why they wear the same thing every day.**

 **Q: Will you show the alternate ending to CH5?  
L: To be fair, even I don't know this but stay tuned!**

 **Q: Will you be doing _? And will _ and _ be in that?  
L: Alright guys, Spirit and I really appreciate the amount of support we have from you guys and we're really grateful that you're excited for the future. But Spirit has a lot on his hands right now with this current story and he's only mentioned doing Class 77 so far himself. Anything beyond DR:2 is uncertain to both myself and Spirit. Don't get me wrong though, seeing all this excitement makes us, or at least me, excited as well but it's a long road until we get there so let's keep things related to the current story for now :)**


	26. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P2

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, once again, the internet wasn't working (Eye twitched). Apparently, someone didn't want to do their job and it resulted in no internet for around a week. So sorry for another delay, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Plus, there was the usual decision of what to add and what not to add. So, with that out of the way, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Editor: We're going to put the questions section here as someone suggested putting them at the top would give it more attention.**

 **Q:Regarding the quality of the writing.  
L: To be honest, I'm not sure in what aspect the "quality" has dropped but I guess the readings do seem a bit weird sometimes. For the readers who've been with this story since the beginning, I'm sure you guys would be able to see the differences between now and then. How Spirit and I work is that Spirit sends me the docs of every chapter, and I edit it in a specific way, gather up some questions from the reviews with my own answer, then send them back to Spirit for final review. My editing is done in a way where it will try to preserve his way of writing, while making it easier and more interesting to read for everyone else. This most of the time includes a small over-haul of the chapter since in a very basic sense, strictly fixing the errors can completely change the point and direction that Spirit has wanted. If you compare the earlier chapters to the more recent chapters in terms of writing and structure, it's kind of different (However, despite only joining Spirit somewhere around CH11 of this story, I've also taken the chance to edit the earlier chapters so there is a small bias here).**

 **Q:How long does it take to finish a chapter?  
S: Without any interruptions or problems, I say between one to two weeks.  
L:Given how things were going so far, and disregarding the delays on the last two chapters, usually Spirit finishes within a week and a half and if he doesn't deliver it to me on a weekend where I have work, then I'll usually finish it within a day or two. To be honest, Spirit sometimes surprises me as he finishes up some chapters much faster than others.**

 **Q:Will you be setting the interactions the same as CH1? Namely, how it focuses on the people involved in the chapter?  
L:It would seem to be that way. After all, it is the most efficient and easy way to get everyone's FTEs done. Although, I'd suppose there will be certain exceptions like Kyoko who's 'arc' will be more gradual rather than fitted into one chapter due to plot purposes and characterization (Let's be real, as good as Makoto is at befriending people, there's no realistic way he'll befriend Kyoko to that level in one chapter.). That's just my thoughts though, no guarantees.  
S: Lucky is correct. I'll be focusing on the people involved in certain chapters, though there will be certain exceptions. Nothing is concrete, however.**

 **Q:Anything regarding DR2 and beyond  
L:I don't think Spirit has planned that far yet and won't be able to give you a proper answer.  
S: Again, Lucky is correct.**

Chapter 25: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 2

 **(Chapter 2 - Boys' Life of Despair - Daily Life)**

"How ominous" Celeste commented. "It seems to suggest that the boys will be getting the attention in this chapter."

"Come on, really?" Hina pouted at that. "A lot of shows focuses on the guys."

"Yeah well, we don't want the focus in this kind of show." Leon remarked.

 **When the picture disappeared, narrator Makoto spoke up. "I woke up the next day to Monokuma's normal morning announcement. Then he called us to the gym."**

"Say what?" Leon questioned in annoyance and worry. "He's already got more plans in motion?"

"C-Can't he give us a b-break?" Toko whined in fear.

" **We were practically frozen with fear. But Monokuma was determined to get us involved in his little game," Makoto continued. "And with that goal in mind, he began it…."**

Everyone tensed up, wondering what Monokuma got in store for them now. Chihiro, in particular, is shaking in trepidation. Is it another motive? A new rule to be added? Is he just going to mock the dead?

None of them expected what happened next….

 **The screen the lit back up to show everyone gathered in the gym, with Monokuma doing some sort of exercise in front of them. "Okay! Lift your arms up, and down! One, two, three, four!"**

" **One, two, three, four!" Taka repeated, as he was the only one doing the exercise while everyone else was just standing around, confused as to why Monokuma wanted them to to do this.**

" **Now reach waaay up, and bend waaay down!" Monokuma instructed, doing exactly what he's instructing. "Tighten those muscles! Let's add a little strength, a little speed to those young bodies of yours!" While Taka did as he instructed, everyone else continued to stare in confusion.**

And just like their future counterparts, the group was confounded. "Is he….trying to make us do exercises?" Makoto slowly, utterly befuddled.

"It would seem that way." Byakuya couldn't help but shake his head, both disappointed and annoyed at Monokuma for the jest. "Clearly, I also underestimated the bear in a different sense as well."

"What is his intention for gathering us to exercise I wonder?" Kyoko questioned, trying to figure out what's going through the mastermind's head.

"Well, I think it's wonderful that he's making sure we maintain our physical fitness!" Taka stated. "But why isn't anyone else exercising?"

"Um, I don't know, maybe it's because they're wondering if the mastermind has a screw loose?" Leon dryly stated. "Or more loose?"

 **After a few minutes of exercising, Monokuma stopped. "Ahh, doesn't this feel just great?!" Monokuma asked the class rhetorically. "Being stuck inside like this, you gotta make sure to stay healthy!"**

"You're the one keeping them there in the first place! I mean, give them some fresh air already!" Hina exclaimed in anger. Then her head dropped. "Poor future me! How is she faring for not being able to go outside?"

"I'm surprise she haven't lost it yet." Celeste commented on. Hina had the most energy out of all of them, so this must be hell for her.

" **You're the o-one keeping us 'stuck inside'..." Toko retorted.**

" **Don't sweat the small stuff! That's my motto." Monokuma waved off. "Whoa, I sounded pretty cool just now, don'tcha think? Did you fall in love with me? Am I just to die for? Am I just to die in writhing agony for?"**

"Disgusting." Byakuya deadpanned.

"Yeah! Like hell we would die for you!" Mondo growled.

 **No one bothered to answer any of those questions. "So….why did you call us here?" Sakura questioned. "Certainly it wasn't to make us exercise…."**

"' **Just' to make you exercise?" Monokuma repeated, sounding angry. "JUST to make you exercise?!" He then went on a tangent. "If exercise makes you laugh, exercise will make you cry! Now, if you keep doing these exercises, you will uncover the secret of the Assassin's Fist! Passed down from generation to generation in the empire of darkness….the power can be yours!"**

Everyone was at a loss of words from Monokuma's response. Usually, any sort of complete silence was from the horror of the situation. However, Spirit paused the video for a second as he noticed how practically the entire class was completely bewildered from Monokuma's 'explanation'.

"...How old is the mastermind?" Leon deadpanned as Spirit pressed play. "Like, seriously? Assassin's Fist? Empire of Darkness? Are you sure Hiro isn't the mastermind?"

"Hey!" Hiro shouted as he raised a fist in protest. "I'll have you know that I would sound way more convincing than that bear!"

"Reminds me of that Tanaka guy with the hamsters. He never shuts up about his black magic." Mondo mused. Taka glowered at the reminder of the Ultimate Breeder. He tried extremely hard to have him put those hamsters back in his room, but his upperclassman was resilient about keeping them around.

 **His offer was only met with more blank stares of annoyance. "That sounds like the kind of junk a middle schooler would come up with…." Hifumi stated.**

" **It doesn't matter!" Makoto exclaimed, getting slightly annoyed. "Just get to the point. Did you really call us down here just to exercise?"**

" **Of course not!" Monokuma denied. "You think I have that kind of free time on my hands?!"**

" **Okay, so then…."**

" **Ahh, I'd like to make an announcement!" Monokuma declared to everyone. "Every time you overcome a class trial here at Hope's Peak, a whole new world will open up to you!"**

" **A whole new world….?" Hiro repeated in confusion.**

" **It'd really suck if you had to live here forever with nothing new to stimulate you!" Monokuma began explaining. "Besides, I know how you kids get these days with your ADD and ADHD. I gotta keep you motivated! So go ahead, look around all you want! Enjoy the brave new post-trial world till you explode!" With that, he left, leaving everyone else even more confused than they already were.**

"...Um, what the heck just happened?" Hiro asked in confusion. "A whole new world? New post-trial world?"

"Sometimes, it's hard to tell the mastermind's age." Kyoko sighed, rubbing her forehead. "The fact that they're speaking through a robotic bear doesn't help."

"Do you think he opened a way out?!" Hina asked eagerly. Some of the others looked eager at the prospect.

Unfortunately, Celeste decided to pop their bubble. "That's highly unlikely. Even I wouldn't make a bet on that."

"W-Well, you never know!" Hina argued, though it was weak. "Maybe they got lucky!" Celeste only raised a brow at Hina, not even going to bother responding to that.

"Tch, If that's the case, Makoto wouldn't have had that ominous narration before." Byakuya responded, slightly annoyed. "Have you not been paying attention?" That got Hina to sag her shoulder in disappointment.

" **A new world….?" Makoto repeated what Monokua said.**

" **Is he talking about….a way to get outside?" Hina asked hopefully.**

" **That seems….unlikely." Celeste stated doubtfully.**

" **Well we won't know till we look!" Mondo argued loudly.**

" **Whatever he meant, it seems like we'll have to search the school one more time." Sakura stated to everyone.**

Kyoko held her chin in thought. It didn't take her long to deduce that a whole new world means areas of the school that were previously closed off. She was about to tell everyone until a quick survey around the room told her that half of the others had managed to come to the same conclusion. Well, it seems like the rest will figure it out in a minute anyways.

" **Okay, then let's split up and start investigating!" Taka instructed. "When you're done, everyone meet back up at the dining hall and we'll share what we found!"**

 **Byakuya rolled his eyes. "You're basically a one-trick pony, you know that?"**

" **More like a staple food source!" Taka countered. "Now let's get moving!" With that, everyone began searching around the school one again.**

"So, if it isn't a way out of the school, what does Monokuma mean?" Taka asked.

Makoto was the one to speak. "I think Monokuma opened up the upper floor." Makoto explained to him. "That's the only thing I could come up with."

"It's the only thing anyone could think of." Byakuya remarked. "What else it could it possibly be?"

"It could've been a gateway into an all powerful mystical world!" Hiro suggested.

"...I'm just gonna pretend you didn't say that. For my own sanity." Leon deadpanned.

 **The scene switched to Makoto walking out of the gym and into the hallway. When he got to the hall that leads to the upper floor, he saw the that the gate that was blocking the stairs has been lifted up.** ' _ **The gate is gone.'**_ **Makoto thought in surprise.** ' _ **So this is what Monokuma meant by "a new world"?'**_

" **If so….what's up there?" With that question, he began walking up the stairs.**

The group already knew what was in the upper floor. After all, despite only being in the old school building for a short amount of time, the layout of it was still fresh in their minds.

"So, they're gonna be going to the second floor now?" Hina whooped in joy at this. "Future me can go to the pool!"

"There's also the workout room where my other can go to." Sakura said, a small smile on her face. "There's no doubt she'll enjoy that."

"The library as well." Byakuya mentioned. "Hopefully, there will be some information on the situation."

"The school's library has always been up to date." Chihiro mused.

"But we can't know for sure if that had continued." Kyoko pointed out. "For one thing, after making the new school building, I doubt they would continue updating the library in the old one. And we also don't know what modifications Monokuma could have made to it."

"You…..raise a good point." Byakuya sighed.

 **When he got up to the second floor, he saw a completely different looking hallway.** ' _ **So this is the second floor.'**_ **Makoto thought, looking around.** ' _ **Maybe there is some kind of clue here…..yeah, I'm sure of it. There's gotta be something here….!'**_ **Energized by his optimism again** **, he began looking around the second floor.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto entering the pool area, with Chihiro, Hina, and Celeste already in there. "Oh, Makoto! Hey, guess what!" Hina began talking excitedly, going over to the luckster. "Guess what I found! There's a pool! A POOL! Pool, pool, pool!"**

" **Y-You don't have to keep repeating it, I got it…." Makoto said, chuckling nervously.**

Hina's excitation brought some warm smiles across the class, temporarily relieving them of their situation. "It's almost exactly similar to your reaction on our first days of school." Sayaka said with a fond smile.

"The only difference is that she didn't immediately jump inside the pool." Leon remarked with a smirk of amusement. "With her uniform still on."

Hina blushed in embarrassment. "I-I couldn't help it! I was really excited!" Hina whined. Makoto chuckled and flushed a little, remembering how her uniform clung onto her body after getting out of the pool.

" **And there's tonnes of exercise equipment in the locker room!" Hina mentioned, still excited. "Sakura's gonna go nuts when she finds out!"**

" **Yeah, you're right about that…." Makoto agreed.** ' _ **Hina seems way more excited than usual.'**_

"Well, of course I would be! Despite everything that's happening, a pool will always get me excited!" Hina stated. Then she held up one of her donuts. "That, and donuts!"

"Yes, we know Hina." Makoto said with a small chuckle.

 **Makoto then turned to Chihiro. "Hey Chihiro, have you checked out the pool yet?"**

" **No," Chihiro answered, a bit nervously. "I….don't like wearing swimsuits."**

' _ **Yeah, you do seem like the type who might not be into that kind of thing.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.**

"For sure! You looked really uncomfortable when we all went swimming together at the pool." Hina mentioned. "You even went out of your way to submerge your entire body most of the time."

"Y-Yeah," Chihiro fidgeted, looking away.

" **But still," Chihiro continued. "It sounds like the locker rooms have all the exercise equipment you could ask for. Maybe I'll give it a try. I'd kind of like to get a little stronger…."**

"You want to get stronger, Chihiro?" Sakura asked with a raised eyebrow. "You never expressed anything like that before."

"W-Well, I guess being in this dangerous position made my desire stronger." Chihiro said nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

" **You want to get stronger?" Makoto asked in slight surprise. "I have to say, that's kind of unexpected…."**

" **But," Chihiro looked down. "I'm not even brave enough to step foot into the locker room…."**

" **Huh? You don't even wanna go in the locker room?" Makoto asked in confusion.**

" **It's not that I don't want to. It's just…." At there, Chihiro stopped, struggling to find the right words.**

"Now that Makoto mentioned it, you did seem to avoid the locker room when we were in the old building." Celeste pointed out. "Even when we all decided to go swimming, you changed your clothes in your own room."

Chihiro looked down, trying to think of what to say. Fortunately, Leon decided to help out. "Well, not all of us like to change with other people around." The baseball player stated. "For me, the thought of changing in front with a bunch of sweaty guys does not sound cool at all."

"So you're just uncomfortable with changing in front of girls?" Hina inquired. Chihiro nodded quickly to that. "Oh. Ok, then."

Chihiro sent a grateful smile towards Leon, who grinned back. He was also one of the few who knew about Chihiro's true gender, something he teased the programmer about from time to time.

' _ **I don't get it.'**_ **Makoto thought with furrowed eyebrows.** ' _ **Is she afraid of locker rooms or something? That's a pretty weird phobia, though….'**_

 **Leaving her alone for now, Makoto's focus shifted to the two doors in front of him.** ' _ **So this is…..the locker room?'**_

" **Oh! And I guess you need your handbook to get into the locker rooms!" Hina said, noticing the locks beside the doors.**

" **Really….?"**

" **Really, really!" Monokuma sudden appearance caused Hina yelp and jump a bit.**

Some of the others did the same. "How many times is he gonna do that?" Leon asked in aggravation.

"As long as it will keep giving us heart attacks." Junko said with an annoyed sigh. Was this really all she could think of for Monokuma's entrances? Lame.

" **If you want to unlock the locker room," Monokuma continued. "You'll have to swipe your personal e-Handbook across the card reader next to the door. However, to ensure maximum security within each locker room, only a boy's handbook can open the boys locker room, and the same goes for the girls! And that's the bottom line!"**

"That programming has been there before he took over Hope's Peak." Chihiro said. "Why is he making it out like it's his own doing?"

"A subtle assertion of power maybe? While that technology does belong to Hope's Peak, he's doing an awfully good job convincing us that it's his work." Kyoko suggested. "Though judging from what we've seen, it's not farfetch'd to think that way. It's possible that he could have replaced it with his own."

" **Hmm….but what if someone opens the door, and then someone else sneaks in?" Hina inquired.**

" **Anyone who commits such indecency will be punished without mercy for their scandalous sexual depravity!" Monokuma declared. He then hopped over to the huge mounted gun on the ceiling. "See, there's a gatling gun mounted on the ceiling, right? And it'll be all DUKKA DUKKA DUKKA DUKKA!"**

The sight of the huge turret on the roof was more than enough to drive the point home. "That's a fucked up way to enforce a rule." Mondo stated bluntly.

"Yeah! Somebody could get really hurt with that!" Hina proclaimed.

That earned a few facepalms. One of which, was Leon. "Huh yeah. I'm 99% sure that's called being dead." Leon retorted.

" **I'd bet it'd really hurt to get shot by that thing!" Hina exclaimed.**

" **Um, no," Chihiro hesitantly said. "I think it'd be a little worse than that…."**

Toko snorted. "U-Understatement. You don't n-need a soldier to k-know that you would get k-killed from that thing."

" **But what happens if someone loans their handbook to someone else?" Celeste inquired. "A boy could borrow a girl's handbook, and that would get them into the girls locker room, would it not?"**

" **Wh-?!" Monokuma looked shocked. "That never even occurred to me! To think someone could be so low, so cowardly, so devilish!"**

" **Hmm," The bear looked down in thought before looking back up. "Okay, then how's this sound? Time for a new rule! As of this moment, loaning your e-Handbook to another student is strictly prohibited! There! So now nobody can give their handbook to anyone else, right?**

" **You like that? I'm kind of a genius, right? It's cuz my brain is 100% cotton!"**

"That psycho bear loves to hear himself chat." Leon deadpanned. "How does it switch from sadistic psycho to an annoying chatterbox?"

"Well, it's easy to switch roles when you aren't showing your actual face." Junko said with a shrug. Then, deciding to take a chance, she swiftly put a crown on her head and spoke royally. "Of course, the mastermind doesn't even compare to I, the Ultimate Fashionista! How dare he make a mockery of me?!"

"Is now really the time to do that Junko?" Taka griped. The moral compass turned to Mukuro. "Mukuro, can't you do something about your sister?"

The soldier gave him a blank look. "Would you like to try?" She offered.

That gave him pause. "...Good point." He sighed. Even he know it's hard to stop Junko and her antics.

" **I do not imagine anyone would have lent their handbook out in the first place." Celeste stated. "After all, they would likely be held responsible for anything that they might do using the handbook…."**

"That, and there's not really much of a use for switching Handbooks." Byakuya stated. "Our handbooks are mainly used as a rule book, to open up lockers, and other areas of the school, such as the locker rooms."

"Though the consequences could be much more dire in the killing game." Mukuro commented.

" **But ya know, you seem awfully concerned with all this locker room security stuff," Hina mentioned.**

" **It's cuz all you teenagers are sex-crazed maniacs! You're at the age you'd try humping a plastic bottle!" Monokuma accused. "So to keep anything unseemingly from happening, I have to maintain a vigourous watch!"**

"I doubt any of you would be in the mood for something like that." Celeste remarked. "After all, being trapped in a school where the only way to get out is to kill someone doesn't leave a very... romantic setting."

" **Then in that case, I would ask that you keep the same close eye on our dorms." Celeste requested. "If some man and some woman decided to share a room, there would be nothing to stop them."**

' _Yeah, nice try you royal disappointment.'_ Junko thought with a mental eye roll. ' _I ain't born yesterday.'_ She could obviously see that Celeste is trying to lower the chances of a killing to happen.

" **All I care about is protecting the holy image of the school itself!" Monokuma retorted. "I don't care what happens in your private dorms! By force or by cunning, do whatever you want!"**

" **I hate you so much…." Hina growled at him.**

" **Okay, so the new regulations are in place! See ya!" With that, Monokuma disappeared once again.**

"...So, the bear killed the mood once again." Leon sighed. "That thing loves to do that."

"Of course it does. It enjoys seeing us suffer." Sayaka said.

 **Hina sighed in aggravation. "Maaan, that stupid bear totally ruined my mood!" The swimmer complained. "Maybe I'll go take a dip to cheer myself up. Celeste, Chihiro, you wanna come with me?"**

" **There is nothing I hate more than getting water on my face." The gambler replied.**

" **Sorry….I'll pass this time." Chihiro politely declined.**

Hina pouted. "I don't get why you guys don't want be in the water all the time!"

"That because very few love the water as much as you do Hina." Makoto said, smiling a little.

" **How come!" Hina exclaimed in shock. "When you're in a funk, there's nothing better than a good swim to pull you out of it!"**

' _ **I pretty sure that only applies to you….'**_ **Makoto thought..**

"It's kinda funny seeing the differences of Makoto's thoughts from when he first met us compared to him now." Leon commented as the scene transitioned, earning a look from the luckster.

 **The scene switched to Makoto entering the library, where Byakuya, Hifumi, Toko, and Kyoko resided in. "It's remarkably dusty in here. And the lighting is less than ideal." Kyoko commented on. "For a library, it's not the kind of place I'd want to do much reading in…."**

' _ **Yeah, there's a lot of dust on the books.'**_ **Makoto mentally agreed as he surveyed the books.** ' _ **Like it hasn't been taken care of for a long time.'**_

"Guess the mastermind left the library alone." Makoto thought outloud. "I wonder why, though."

"Maybe it didn't cross their mind to clean it, or alter it." Sayaka suggested.

 **As Makoto looked around, a shocking gasp from Hifumi brought his attention to the fanfic creator. "I'm absolutely shocked!" Hifumi exclaimed.**

" **...How come?"**

" **They have all these books here, and not ONE copy of ANY of my works!" Hifumi cried in outrage.**

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "That's a library, not a manga store. Your filth wouldn't be seen in there."

"M-Master's right. Your filthy mangas w-wouldn't be found with pure literature." Toko agreed with Byakuya. And not just because of her obvious feelings for him.

"Besides, didn't the library not have any of your works to begin with?" Chihiro thought out loud.

"None of you get my art. Not one bit." Hifumi said, looking frustrated.

" **W-Well, yeah," Toko said. "Why would they have m-mangas in a library? Plus, most 'fanfic' is j-just porn drawn by a bunch of a-amateurs…."**

" **You just don't get it. Not. At. All." Hifumi stated in frustration.**

" **I-I do too get it," Toko responded back, with a perverted grin on her face. "And w-with a face like yours, anyone can tell n-nothing you do is worthwhile."**

"Uh oh." Makoto muttered.

" **Say whatever you want about me, but never judge a book by its author!" Hifumi exclaimed. "Now hear this! Appearances mean nothing at all! What you see before you is nothing more than the rind that contains the meaty pulp of my genius! My creations is what determine my meaning and value!"**

Toko snorted. "I-I still th-think you're full of it." The writer stated. "O-One look at you, and others will tell t-that your books aren't a-anything good."

"Then what about your books?" Hifumi retorted. "Anyone that knows of your personality wouldn't ever believe that you wrote those books!"

"Wha-What? H-How dare you?!"

The class sighed at this. Why did they have to get into an argument now? "Toko, cease this pointless conversation." Byakuya said firmly. "Now."

"You as well." Celeste commanded the fanfic writer. "A waste of my precious time."

Toko immediately backed off like an obedient puppy, whereas Hifumi only reluctantly did so.

 **Toko snickered at this. "You're so f-full of it…."**

" **Hmph. I'm used to being misunderstood." Hifumi waved off. "You think weak attacks like yours will drop my HP?"**

' _ **Those two….really worry me.'**_ **Makoto couldn't help but think.**

"I think we can all agree on that." Leon said blankly. "And in more ways than one."

Several nodded in agreement while Hifumi and Toko let out indignant squawks.

" **And besides, I've seen what you write Miss Fukawa." Hifumi stated, calming down for now. "Talented as you are, your stuff isn't any more 'worthwhile'."**

That got Toko hissing again. "Don't compare your garbage with my novels!"

"Yeah!" Sayaka voiced in agreement. "Her love novels are amazing! They are definitely worthwhile!" While Sayaka and Toko don't get along all that well, Sayaka can definitely say that her novels are amazing.

 **That dropped Toko's smile. "My stories are filled with true love and pure feelings! Don't compare them to that garbage of yours!" Toko hissed in outrage. "Your writing doesn't even m-mean anything. It's just a bunch of j-jumbled up letters….! S-Someone should just….burn it all."**

" **Ooh, the lady doth protest too much, methinks!" Hifumi declared mischievously. "I bet you're secretly into boy-on-boy action!"**

" **Boy-on-boy….?" Toko visibly shuddered. "I don't care if it's an a-anime or mangas or fanfic or w-whatever! It's all filth! Throwaway culture that'll be trashed and forgotten in half a decade! Ugh….just t-talking about it makes me sick to my s-stomach. I feel like I'm gonna throw up…."**

Hifumi let out a small growl at this. Celeste felt her eye twitch a little from the development. That was not an image she wanted to see.

' _I've got to remind myself that_ _Toko probably wouldn't like Komaru.'_ Makoto thought with a sweatdrop. His sister loved manga and anime, and is very passionate about them. ' _And Komaru wouldn't like Toko's attitude...maybe..'_

 **Hifumi let out a small growl. "You've insulted me, and you've insulted my honor!" He declared.**

' _ **Those two are really freaking me out.'**_ **Makoto thought, taking a step back.** ' _ **I've never seen anything like it….'**_

"You mean a nerd war?" Mondo commented on. "Yeah, haven't seen nothing like that either, until those two."

"N-N-Nerd?!" Toko stuttered indignantly. "D-Don't compare me to that trash lover!"

"Trash lover?! Why I outta…."

"Enough! Such pointless fighting is not welcome in a school environment! Also, you two have wasted enough time as it is! We need to keep moving forward!" Taka shouted, effectively stopping both of the writers.

"Saw that one coming.." Mondo muttered as he grabbed Taka's arm to stop him before he went on a streak.

 **When he bumped onto the desk behind him, he turned around to see a letter on top of the desk. "Huh?" Seeing the letter, Makoto picked it up and read the outline. "Hope's Peak Academy….?"**

" **It was buried under a thick layer of dust." Kyoko observed, coming to Makoto's side. "Well, shall we see what's inside?"**

" **But….we shouldn't read other people's mail without their permission." Makoto protested a little.**

That got a few disbelieving looks, as well as facepalming. "Really, Makoto?" Byakuya grouched. "Now is not the time for proper etiquette."

"Well, he isn't wrong though." Sayaka hummed. "But I guess he doesn't really have a choice in that situation."

Makoto blushed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Yeah, he couldn't disagree with that.

" **What we shouldn't do is leave here without finding out what's inside." Kyoko countered firmly.**

" **O-Okay…." Opening the seal of the dusty envelope, Makoto pulled out the letter that was inside it. He then unfolded it, and began reading its contents. "From the Hope's Peak Executive Office…."**

" **Throughout the years, we have been committed to shaping the youth who will one day shape the world." The luckster read. "We have a long, proud history as an institution of higher learning with full governmental support. Our graduates enter society ready to take active leadership roles in every major job field."**

" **However, Hope's Peak Academy must now lower the curtain on its glorious history, for the time being." He continued. "The decision was not an easy one to make, but serious issues beyond our control have made it necessary.**

" **But make no mistake- this is not the end for Hope's Peak Academy." Makoto began finishing up. "We intend to reopen our doors as soon as the issues forcing our closure have been resolved. That being said, this is the end for now, and I would like to personally and sincerely thank everyone for your help and support over the years. For now, we are awaiting official governmental authorization to formally cease operations…."**

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise. "So Hope's Peak was actually shut down?" Taka questioned in shock.

"That would explain how the mastermind was able to use and alter the old school building, as well as to why there isn't any other students there." Kyoko said, writing down the information on her journal. ' _And judging by the dust, I would have to say that it was closed for around a year, maybe?'_

"But why did it need to close down?" Makoto asked with furrowed eyebrows. "What serious issues were there?"

"Did the mastermind has something to do with it, perhaps?" Byakuya mused. "Or was it something else, and the mastermind took the opportunity?"

"And how did he manage to get all of us in the old school building if the school was shut down?" Celeste questioned. "Did he kidnap us in our homes? Gathered us there somehow?"

"Man, why do the answers keep giving us more questions?" Hiro whined. "Why can't there be answers that lower the numbers?"

' _Oh, trust me. You wish that you didn't know all the answers if you manage to find everything out.'_ Junko thought with a mental smirk.

While she doesn't know everything that has happened, she knew that her overall plan had succeeded in the future they're watching. Hope's Peak and possibly, the whole world had fallen to the despair and chaos. The current killing game was also being broadcasted to the whole world, if the cameras were of any indication. From all that she has seen, that's how much she was able to make out.

But that was the end of Junko's knowledge. There were still many other factors that she could still be shocked and surprised from. At least it wasn't entirely boring. ' _Who knew this future watching thing could be so exciting?!'_

 **Makoto looked up from the letter, facing the others. "What does this mean….?"**

" **Hmm….the contents of this letter are quite interesting indeed." Byakuya stated.**

" **It would seem Hope's Peak had stopped functioning as a school." Kyoko deduced. "And judging by the amount of dust the letter and collected, it doesn't seem like have happened recently. If I had to guess, I'd say this letter could be at least a year old."**

"A year?" Sayaka repeated in shock. "Hope's Peak is gonna be closed down for a year?"

"Correction: In that time line, it had closed down for at least a year. Taking that into account, since we have no news that Hope's Peak is closing down in our time line, then we have to assume that our future selves are at least nineteen years old," Kyoko mused out loud. "That would mean, we would have lost at least a year's worth of memories and maybe, Hope's Peak is going to make an announcement soon."

"At least a year's worth of memories?" Chihiro cried. "T-Then, everything we've done together was for nothing?" Everyone shuddered at that sudden thought.

"W-well, I wouldn't put it that way.." Makoto said, trying to figure out how to put it so it wouldn't sound so bad.

"But why?" Taka questioned with furrowed eyebrows. "What's gonna be happening? And how soon will it start?"

"It would have to be something that either endangers the students and the staff, or something that stained Hope's Peak reputation." Celeste mused. "Those are the top possibilities I could think of."

"It seems that the mysteries about the future gets more complicated with each chapter." Sakura said, frowning.

Mukuro frowned as well. She knew almost exactly what was going to happen, but couldn't bring herself to speak up. It was such an extreme scenario that it might as well have been a joke.

" **So….you're saying Hope's Peak closed down at least a year ago?" Makoto asked her, shocked.**

" **Most likely, the mastermind took over the abandoned school in order to put on this little performance." Byakuya reasoned.**

 **Makoto looked troubled at this. "B-But that would mean it was closed when I got here just a few days ago," He pointed out. "But I didn't get that sense at all." As he said that, a flashback at the outer appearance of Hope's Peak was shown.**

" **Plus, if the school had shut down, don't you think it would've been in all the newspapers and stuff?" Makoto asked them. "I mean, you're saying it could've happened over a year ago, right? But before I got here, I looked stuff up online about the school, and never saw anything about this."**

The group of Ultimates grimaced at what Makoto's statements. They nearly forgot that their future selves' memories have been stolen. "It seems like our future selves are having a bigger amount of questions." Makoto said forlornly.

"What they remember contradicts what they've seen and read." Byakuya stated. "If they are going to figure out the mysteries behind the old school building, they'll need to find out somehow that their memories have been wiped."

"And even if they do find that out, they won't accept that fact easily." Kyoko said. Memory loss on that scale wasn't something most people would accept as fact.

" **That must have all been part of the mastermind's plan. They lured us all in here…." Byakuya said in thought. "Someone who could create a place to judge and execute people could potentially be capable of anything. Of course, that's all assuming that this letter is real."**

" **If it is real though, that does solve one mystery surrounding the school," Kyoko said. "The reason there are no other students here could be because the school has already closed down."**

"My future self raised a good point." Kyoko agreed. "Despite thinking differently, due to our different memories, it's probably the fact that the school was closed down was the reason there aren't any other students."

"However, there's still the possibility that the other buildings could be in use." Celeste pointed out.

"But if Hope's Peak is shut down, what are the other buildings used for? More killing games?" Sakura pointed out, causing everyone to shudder and dropped that line of conversation immediately.

" **That would be a nice, simple solution, it's true." Byakuya agreed.**

" **But then….what about this other part?" Makoto pointed out another part of the letter. "The parts talking about the 'serious issues'. What did they mean by that? That's apparently why the school had to close. Is there any connection between that and what's happening to us now?"**

"Can you stop asking more questions?" Hiro whined, holding his head. "I feel like I'm gonna explode."

"Yeah, I'm getting a headache from the amount of questions too." Hina agreed with Hiro.

"But Makoto did bring up a good point." Chihiro told the two softly. "Is it possible what we're seeing and the serious issues that got Hope's Peak closed down are connected?"

" _Oh, you betcha!'_ Junko answered mentally. After all, her plans all revolved around Hope's Peak. And what's more fitting than using the school of hope to bring despair onto the entire world?

" **If the two events are in fact connected, uncovering that connection would be a useful clue, on top of figuring out the mastermind's motive," Kyoko concluded. "Although I can't really say any more until we find more details.**

" **So in other words, only the mastermind knows the truth right now." Byakuya stated bluntly.**

' _ **The mastermind's motive,'**_ **Makoto thought to himself, looking at the letter.** ' _ **If we can figure out why they would want to imprison us all here….will that be enough to get us out of here?'**_

' _ **Or….?'**_ **Before Makoto could finish that thought, the scene turned back and switched to the dining hall.**

"Or what?" Hifumi inquired, looking at Makoto. "What was your future about to think, Mr. Naegi?"

"I don't think I want to know." Makoto said with a grimace. He doubt it's anything pleasant.

 **The remaining students are all gathered at the table, ready to discuss what they've found. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen!" Taka greeted everyone. "How'd it go? Did anyone discover anything interesting new anything?!"**

"Interesting new anything?" Leon repeated incredulously. "Who the hell says that?!"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Taka stated in his usual confident tone. "Or at least, used to! Makoto and Mondo told me that most people don't say things like that!"

"Only if they have a screw loose in their head." Leon deadpanned.

" **There's a library!" Hifumi told everyone.**

" **And a pool! A freakin pool!" Hina added in excitingly. "And locker rooms filled with exercise equipment!"**

" **There was not, however, anything resembling an escape route." Sakura said grimly.**

" **Yeah….she's right…." Makoto sagged his shoulder in disappointment.**

"But at least they gathered more information." Kyoko said.

"Yeah. There's that." Makoto agreed with the detective.

" **Well hey, there's no reason to get all sulky! Wait till you hear about my amazing discovery!" Taka then announced what he found. "The warehouse and bathhouse on the 1st floor of the dorms are now open! And the warehouse is chock-full of food, clothes, whatever you want. There's so much it's insane!"**

"Wait, the warehouse is opened now? So that means," Hina's eyes shined brightly. "Donuts! Future me, you can go get your donuts now!"

That got several of them chuckling at Hina's loves for the sweets. "And now that the bathhouses are open, they can take refreshing baths." Celeste added in.

" **So go ahead and stuff yourself to the gills whenever you feel like!" Taka then ended that with a laugh.**

" **Keep in mind, of course, that going out at nighttime is still prohibited." Celeste pointed out. "Please do not forget…."**

" **Okay, and what about a fuckin' way out of here?" Mondo asked everyone. "You find anything like that?"**

" **Oh, well….ummm…."**

" **There wasn't anything in the warehouse we could use to get our asses outta here? Nothin'?" Mondo questioned angrily.**

" **U-Unfortunately, no," Taka said somberly. "Not that I saw…."**

"By now, this isn't becoming a surprise." Kyoko sighed. "The mastermind seems well prepared to block any attempt of escape."

 **Mondo groaned. "You fuckin' people," He growled. "Who gives a shit if we have a goddamn pool now?! Or a warehouse, or whatever the fuck! We're still trapped in this piece of shit school! We need to find a goddamn way OUT!"**

That brought everyone back to reality, and got the mood a bit heavier. "Did you really had to put it that way, Mondo?" Chihiro asked timidly.

The biker sighed. "I don't know." He shrugged. "But everyone was forgetting the fact that they're trapped in the plus. Guess future me was frustrated."

"Well, you didn't have to take it out on everyone." Makoto told Mondo. "Being tense all the time isn't always a good thing."

"And being stuck in a delusion of normalcy won't help either." Byakuya countered. "You saw how that worked out for Hiro."

" **Now, now. There is no point in taking your anger out on us." Celeste chided softly. "Adaptation is the key, yes? For now we must find a way to enjoy our current situation."**

" **Whatever you say, you fuckin' loon…."**

"Oh?" A dark aura surrounded Celeste. "A loon, am I?"

"Well, you can't blame him." Junko spoke in. "Your talk about adapting and surviving is pretty psycho like."

"Still, I do not like being called a loon." Celeste did her best to reign in her temper.

" **For now, let's just continue our investigation," Taka interjected, still looking a bit down. "And let everyone know if you should discover something."**

" **So, are we done for today?" Kyoko questioned.**

" **W-Well….yeah," Taka said unsurely. "I guess so."**

' _ **The air is heavy again.'**_ **Makoto sadly noted.** ' _ **Was this the mastermind's plan? To give us hope, then to crush it….?'**_ **The camera then focused on Byakuya, who looks to be deep in thought.**

"So they can enter the second floor, as well as the bathhouse and warehouse," Sayaka began listing off. "Find out information about the school….but nothing to help get out of that school turned nuthouse."

"Unfortunately, not." Sakura replied with a grimace.

"Though it won't stop them for searching." Makoto stated. "And maybe uncovering the mysteries surrounding the school will help."

"I hope you're right, Makoto." Mukuro said softly. And she isn't lying when she said that. She does hope that they figure out everything.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. And hopefully next time, the internet or wifi don't get shut off because of lightning, lazy workers, or anything else. So, any suggestions as to who Makoto should talk to and/or which free time I should put in? I'm getting a good outline of what to put in, but I would to hear the readers' opinion. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.** **good outline of what to put in, but I would to hear the readers' opinion. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	27. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P3

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, no big delays this time, hooray! My allergies decided to come up early, but I powered through whenever I could. Hope my allergies didn't mess with the quality, though I guess Lucky Soldier would fix anything I mess up in. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Questions section! (Not too much this time around, but I try scrounge as much as I can)  
**

 **Q: Regarding the FTEs and when we should do which character:  
L: Overall, there seems to be a general consensus of "don't just do the characters who are involved in that chapter, mix it up!" kind of deal. And actually, I agree! Coincidentally (or maybe not..), Spirit also put in a part of Kirigiri's FTE so there's that!  
S: It's kinda a coincidence, but not so much. **

**Q: Will you be including the bad end from CH5?  
L: I am about 80% sure that Spirit has said no before... but I'll let him answer this one.  
S: If I didn't, I'll say it now: I most likely won't show it. I may mention it to the cast, but I won't show the bad ending.  
**

 **Q: Will you be including the Bath House bonus scene?  
L: I am also... 80% sure that Spirit has said no to this one... actually as I'm responding to this, I think Spirit has said no to all the extra stuff.  
S: Yeah, I think so as well. If I didn't, I'll say it now: I won't be adding most, if not all, the extra stuff in Danganronpa. **

Chapter 26: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 3

 **After the meeting, the scene switched to the class returning to their dorms for the night. Makoto and Kyoko were beside one another as they walked down the hall in comfortable silence. The soft footsteps of sneakers and the clacking of the detective's heeled boots complimented each other throughout their silent stroll in the night.**

 **Suddenly, the comfortable cadence of their footsteps was interrupted as Kyoko broke the silence. "Are you scared, Makoto?"**

" **Huh….?" Makoto looked up at the sudden question.**

The others were also surprised by that question. Both from the fact that Kyoko was the one to break the silence, and the nature of the question itself.

"That was out of the blue." Junko stated bluntly.

"Also, aren't you a couple days too late to be asking that question? I really hope this wasn't how you actually opened up to Makoto." Leon sarcastically said.

"Why the sudden interest? You didn't seem awfully interested the first time he said 'hi'." Sayaka added.

Kyoko shrugged. "I'm guessing maybe my future self wants to get to know Makoto after the first trial."

" **Being trapped in a place like this…." Kyoko clarified.**

" **Wh-Who wouldn't be?" Makoto rhetorically asked. "Of course I'm scared, being trapped in this insane school…"** ' _ **More so now, with what happened.'**_ **He added mentally to himself.**

" **Ah. That's good."**

That earned several more looks of confusion and befuddlement. "Am I missing something, or what?" Mondo asked. "How the fuck is that good?"

"Maybe even Kyoko has a weird side that no one else knows about." Hina thought out loud. When she caught the look that the detective gave her, she immediately felt embarrassed and rubbed the back of her neck apologetically. "Ahh, sorry!"

"Listen, my future self will explain." Kyoko said, already knowing what she meant by that.

 **That earned a befuddled look from Makoto. "That's….good?"**

" **Fear is proof that your imagination is functioning." Kyoko explained. "Frankly, I feel bad for anyone who can't feel fear. Without imagination, you can never deduce which action to take next."**

"Ah." Celeste nodded to herself. "A most interesting thought."

"But what about you? Your future self is pretty damn calm." Leon pointed out.

Kyoko rolled her eyes. Of course she is. She doesn't let herself show her emotions so openly.

" **But what about you? You seem totally calm." Makoto pointed out. "You don't act afraid at all."**

" **I'm scared too, of course," Kyoko told him. "I simply hide my emotions. There's no advantage to be gained from letting others see how you feel."**

" **You hide…? Huh….?" Makoto was confused at that.**

" **What I mean is, I'm not as foolishly open as you are." Kyoko stated bluntly.**

' _ **Foolishly open….?'**_

Sayaka huffed. "Did you have to say it like that, Kyoko? There's nothing wrong with being so open with your emotions."

"You and I both know, full and well, the dangers of being so open and trusting." Kyoko countered calmly. "Or do I have to remind you of what happened in chapter 1?" Sayaka winced at that, and stayed silent.

 **The two are now at the middle of the hall, with everyone else already in their room. "Also, the 'fear' I experience is a little different from yours, I imagine." Kyoko added in.**

" **Huh? What do you mean?" Makoto asked curiously.**

"How can it be different?" Hina asked, tilting her head.

Kyoko stayed silent, knowing that her other will say the difference, as well as surprised that her other is being this open to Makoto. She guessed the last chapter got her future self to see the same thing within Makoto that she herself saw.

" **You're afraid of what you might lose, right?" Kyoko asked rhetorically. "I'm afraid of what I've already lost."**

"Afraid….of what you've already lost?" Hifumi repeated, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yeah. How can you be afraid of what you already lost?" Hina asked as well.

"Wait a minute….is it ghosts?!" Hiro exclaimed in panic. "Are there ghosts haunting her?!"

Once again, the sound of facepalms echoed the room. "Why the hell does it always come back to ghosts?" Mondo growled in frustration.

" **I'm sorry….I don't understand." Makoto admitted.**

" **I know." She simply stated, turning away from him. "Goodbye." And with that, she left her room.**

Hina pouted. "Hey! You can't just do that! You didn't even explain to him what you meant!"

"Of course not. I'm not the type to open up about everything." Kyoko retorted coolly. "Not even to someone like Makoto."

"I would be surprised if you did." Makoto admitted.

 **Makoto sighed. "Well, we're just still getting to know each other." He figured to himself as he opened the door to his own dorm. "Maybe we'll talk more next time." With that, he went into his own room and the screen went dark.**

 **The next day started with a slightly different morning announcement. Makoto groaned as he woke up to the blaring bell that rang through the dorms. "Good morning everyone! It is now 7 a.m. and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!" Monokuma broadcasted through the monitors.**

" **Oh, that's right!" The bear said in an afterthought. "I wanted to let you know that your e-Handbooks have been updated! New regulations have been added, so please take a look and enjoy your school life more than ever before!" With that, the monitor turned off.**

 **Makoto got up from his bed with a small yawn.** ' _ **He must be referring to yesterday…."Loaning your e-Handbook is strictly prohibited."'**_ **Makoto thought to himself. "But right now, I need to hurry up and head to breakfast."**

 **The scene switched to Makoto walking into the dining hall, where most of the remaining students are at. "Mornin', Makoto!" Hina chirped at her seat.**

" **Good morning," Makoto greeted, sitting down. "Is everyone here already?"**

" **Nope! Still waitin' on Byakuya and Taka." Hiro informed him.**

"Really? Taka isn't there?" Mondo commented in surprise. "That's strange. Usually, bro would be at the dining hall first thing."

"I agree. I would be." Taka remarked with a frown. "Maybe I'm trying to get Byakuya out of his room? He has been tardy before."

"I hope it's that." Chihiro said, a bit nervously.

" **Byakuya's no surprise, but it's strange Taka's not here yet…." Makoto said with a small frown.**

" **Knowing Taka, I imagine he is trying to get the King of Tardiness up and out of bed." Celeste remarked.**

"King of Tardiness? How very mature of you." Byakuya snarked. "I just don't believe I should rush out of bed for you commoners."

" **I'm sure they'll be here soon enough. Just be patient…." Sakura reassured them.**

" **I don't mind waiting for them, but there is one problem," Celeste stated.**

" **Which is….?" Makoto inquired.**

" **I am thirsty."**

"You're thirsty?" Leon repeated in slight disbelief. "How the hell is that a problem?!"

"Well, I don't want my throat patch while I'm waiting." Celeste stated. "There's nothing more horrible than the feeling of a dry throat."

"That's Celeste for you." Makoto sighed.

" **How the hell is that a problem?!" Mondo questioned in slight disbelief.**

 **Celeste ignored Mondo and turned to the doujin artist. "Hifumi, would you make me some tea?"**

" **...Huh?" Has the response of the overweight fanfic creator.**

" **Milk tea, if you please." Celeste requested.**

" **Why….why me?" Hifumi hesitantly asked.**

" **Your roundish figure reminds me of the owner of the coffee shop I used to frequent." Celeste explained.**

' _ **That's your reason….?'**_ **Makoto thought incredulously.**

"Yeah, I still call bull on that." Leon said bluntly. "No way that's the reason."

"Well, believe it or not, it is." Celeste retorted.

" **I can feel my throat drying." Celeste told Hifumi. "Quickly, please."**

" **O-Okay…." Looking unable to refuse her order, Hifumi went into the kitchen.**

Leon rolled his eyes. "Ever since the beginning the school, you let Celeste order you around."

"Like I said before, I wasn't max levelled at the time!" Hifumi stated. "I am now!"

"Then how come you still act like her servant?"

"Cause, if we were to fight, our attack powers would destroy the school!" Hifumi declared. "So to avoid that, I serve Ms. Ludenberg, though there are times that I purposefully face her wrath!"

' _Why does he have to say these things out loud?'_ Celeste couldn't help but gripe in her mind. It's embarrassing.

 **A few minutes later, Hifumi came back with a small tray of tea. "Thank you for waiting!" Hifumi stated proudly.**

 **Celeste giggled. "Finally…."**

"Hang on," Makoto looked closely at the tea. "Oh, no."

"What is it?" Sayaka asked him, as not only herself, but a few others were also curious and concerned as to what he had noticed.

"The milk isn't separated from the tea." Was all Makoto said. That was all he needed to say, judging by the several 'ahs' he got from his friends. Around the first few weeks, when Celeste began ordering around Hifumi, one of her request has been milk tea, like her future self requested. And they have a feeling it will be play out the same way.

" **You c-could've made some for the r-rest of us, you know…." Toko mentioned.**

"Y-Yeah. Why didn't you?" Toko asked him.

"I believe future me will explain!" Was what Hifumi said.

" **I emphatically decline!" Hifumi stated to her. "You're not my type at all!" He then laugh a little. "It's all about the law of causality, basic instinct, act and react!" That got a small growl from Toko.**

Toko growled herself. "L-Like you're any better! I d-doubt anyone would fall for y-you!"

"I will not fall by such bitter words! I will remain standing and triumphant!" Hifumi declared.

" **Well then, if you don't mind…." She held the small tea cup delicately in her hand with a small smile. But then she pause. "...Wait."**

 **She cocked her head to the side….and threw the cup as hard as she could on the wall. Everyone else jumped in shock from the shattering of the cup. "What the-?!" Hifumi gasped in shock. "What are you doing, my white little rabbit?!"**

Hifumi pouted, remembering the exact same thing happening back at Hope's Peak. "You didn't have to do that, Ms. Ludenberg."

"It wasn't the same tea that I enjoy. It needed to be disposed of quickly." Celeste replied coolly.

" **I HATE this kind of tea!" Celeste stated in disgust.**

" **U-Umm….I don't understand…."**

" **Imagine we are at a coffee shop-just any normal everyday cafe. I sit down, and I order some tea." Celeste began setting an example. "Then they ask me, 'Would you like lemon, or milk?' Now, further imagine that I replied, 'Ah, yes, I would like milk tea, please'. In this case, along with my tea they may bring me a small container of milk, yes?"**

 **She then pointed at the remains of the milk tea. "But this is not for me! I am among those who prefer the milk to be a part of the process from the outset! The fragrance is just overly sweet that way. Adding milk or lemon right before you drink is like dousing your fries with ketchup - mere condiments! Whenever I look for a cafe, I first review their menu to see if it offers the proper style of milk tea. And I cannot acknowledge any 'milk tea' that does adds the milk during the brewing process!"**

 **The overall reaction was….wide eyed bewilderment.**

The reactions of the present class was the same. No matter how many times they hear it, it stills bewilders them how Celeste take the smallest of things so seriously. "I still don't understand why you rant over fucking tea." Mondo stated bluntly.

"Of course you don't. Your sense of taste is as dull as your brain."

That got a growl from Mondo, as vapours of anger streamed out of his ears. Oddly enough though, he managed to stay calm in his seat as it's ingrained into his head to not hurt women, even if they're capable of fighting, like Sakura and Mukuro.

" **Umm," Hifumi started, still baffled. "I went to all that trouble to make you that tea….and you wanted me to go even further?"**

" **Yes," Celeste answered. "I realize it can a bit of a hazzle. Even in cafes that offer proper milk tea, it is always more expensive than simple tea with milk. It takes more time to prepare, surely, but….why even bother creating a menu if you are not going to offer the highest level of quality?!"**

' _The dining hall doesn't even have a menu.'_ Several thought blankly.

" **Well, um….we don't actually have a menu…."**

 **That cause Celeste to lose her temper. "That doesn't matter!" She exclaimed angrily, holding her covered index finger up. Her accent was lost as well. "Hurry up and bring me what I ask for, swine!"**

" **WHAAAAT?!" Hifumi screamed in terror. "O-Okay! Your little piggy will bring it right out!" With that, Hifumi ran back in the kitchen in fear.**

 **Celeste settled back into her usual mood. "Hmhm. I do so love coercion."**

"...That still scares the living daylight out of me." Leon stated.

"Yeah. That temper of hers is scary." Hina said with a shudder. Several others nodded in agreement.

"Though it's fun to get Ms. Ludenberg angry sometimes." Hifumi said, a bit mischievously. "She acts a lot like those tsundere."

"Hifumi, will you shut up?" Celeste nearly growled.

 **The others looked at Celeste in shock. "You were like….a totally different person just now." Hina pointed out.**

" **Yeah, shit….you really went psycho there." Mondo agreed. Celeste merely giggled.**

"I would hate to be the bastard that angers her. Actually, I'd almost feel sorry for anyone that does." Mondo deadpanned as Chihiro shuddered in agreement.

' _ **I knew there was more to her when I first met her,'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **I'd hate to have her as an enemy. Seriously man. She's one scary chick….'**_

Celeste held an amused smile. "Is that what you think of me, Makoto?"

The luckster chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah, it was at first." Keyword, "was". Now that he knows what she's really like, it wasn't all that bad. Most of the time.

 **Suddenly, the dining hall door flew open and Taka came storming in. "Bad news, everyone! There's a mystery afoot!"**

" **Huh? What happened?" Hiro asked.**

" **It would seem Byakuya refuses to leave his room!" Taka told them. "I stood there pressing his doorbell over and over, but he never showed himself."**

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "Did it ever occur to him that I might not even be in there?"

" **Maybe he just….wasn't there." Makoto suggested.**

"See? Even a person with average intelligence can figure it out."

' _I wouldn't say average.'_ Kyoko thought. As average as Makoto was, he did have a surprising amount of hidden intellect and insight within him.

" **I'd like to think so. But I'm worried something might have happened to him." Taka said in concern, immediately alerting everyone else in the dining hall.**

 **"I-It might be a good idea if we all split up and go look for him." Makoto suggested nervously as he got up from his seat.**

" **Ah! I has just about to suggest the same thing!" Taka stated.**

" **Stop trying to one-up e-everyone…." Toko told him.**

" **Okay, then I'll go check his room one more time." Hina volunteered. "I'm just gonna keep hammering that button till I get a response!"**

" **Very well, then the rest of can go check the rest of the building." Sakura said.**

" **Yeah. Before it's, y'know….too late." Hiro said nervously. No one said anything else and quickly began the search for the Ultimate Affluent Progeny.**

While everyone else slowly felt their adrenaline get to them, Byakuya, simply rolled his eyes.

"Like I would let myself be killed like that." Byakuya stated, gaining the attentions of the others. "I'm probably up in the library."

"And likely reading too." Kyoko sighed. After all, the Togami heir always had a strange interest in that old library.

 **The scene switched to Makoto looking around the hallway.** ' _ **Where might Byakuya have gone….?'**_ **Makoto thought. His eyes has then set on the stairs leading to the second floor.** ' _ **Maybe he went to check out the second floor again….'**_ **With that thought in mind, he went up to the second floor.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto at the door of the library. Slowly, he opened the door. When he saw who's in there, he cried out in surprise. "Byakuya?!"**

 **There was the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, sitting at the desk, reading a book, with a cup of either tea or coffee in his other hand.**

"Looks right you were right, Byakuya." Chihiro said.

"But you should be at the dining hall!" Taka raged. "Not at the library!"

"And you got everyone so worried, too!" Hina pouted.

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "He didn't ask for anyone to find him, did he?"

" **Hey, uh….what are you doing?" Makoto inquired hesitantly.**

" **I'm fishing. What does it look like I'm doing?" Byakuya asked rhetorically, not looking away from his book. "I'm trying to read. So if you could be quiet…."**

" **Oh….sorry." Then Makoto's eyes shot back up in realization. "Wait, no-! What are you doing here? Everyone's super worried! We've all been looking for you!"**

" **Who asked you to do that?"**

" **B-Because…." Makoto fumbled for an explanation. "We're all supposed to meet up in the morning and eat together. We made a promise!"**

" **A promise?" Byakuya sighed in annoyance. "Can't I get a second's peace and quiet around here?" Snapping his book shut, he slowly stood up from his chair.**

"That what I wish for everyday." Byakuya sighed. "Unfortunately, peace and quiet rarely comes by in Hope's Peak."

"Here, here." The more reserved Ultimates agreed with their own sighs.

 **Moments after he got up, the others came in the library, hearing Makoto's shouts. "Byakuya! So this is where you've been hiding!" Taka point an accusing finger at Byakuya.**

" **The heck are you doin' here, man?" Hiro sighed.**

" **We were very concerned…." Sakura added.**

" **Well you have no reason to be. I was just reading." Byakuya informed them. "I've never read such a….coarse novel, but it might prove useful at some point."**

" **Wh-What are you reading?" Hina asked hesitantly.**

" **A mystery novel." Byakuya answered shortly.**

"A mystery novel?" Suddenly, Hiro started panicking. "Wait, is gonna use that knowledge from the novel to betray us?!"

"H-How, sneaky of him," Hifumi said nervously.

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "Relax, you simpletons." He chided them. "The knowledge will probably be useful when another killing happens."

"Don't say it like another killing is going to happen." Makoto protested. The heir sighed.

"Makoto, like it or not, another killing is bound to happen. There's no ifs, ors, or buts about it."

" **W-Wait, so are you gonna use what you're learning in there to betray us?!" Hifumi accused nervously.**

 **Byakuya rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid."**

" **Yeah!" Makoto agreed.**

" **It's just something to keep in mind."**

That statement caught the group off guard. Especially Byakuya. "Wait, wait, wait, what did he say just now?" Leon questioned, wide eyes.

"'Something to keep in mind'?" Junko quoted with wide eyes.

" **Yea-what?" Makoto turned to Byakuya with a confused expression plastered on his face.**

" **If I decide to fight, I'll come up with something original." Byakuya continued, a smirked plastered on his face. "Otherwise, this game of ours will totally be boring, right? It's not often you get to take part in such a high-stakes, high-tension activity. So, if you're going to do it, you have to make sure it's entertaining." He ended that with a small, sinister snicker.**

Throughout his whole speech, the group looked at the whole thing with a mix of shock and disgust. "Game? Boring?" Sayaka repeated in shock.

"High-stakes, high-tension activity?" Chihiro repeated, her face getting pale.

"Is fucking Togami actually enjoying himself?" Mondo growled.

Byakuya silently glared at his future counterpart on screen. What on earth is he saying?! It wasn't his thing to bend to another's will, especially not in a situation like this.

" **What the fuck do you mean, 'game'?!" Mondo growled at him. "That's fucked up!"**

" **But it is a game." Byakuya persisted. "It's a game of life or death, which can have only one winner. That's all there is to it."**

"H-He, actually thinks that this is all a game?" Makoto stuttered in shock.

"It appear so." Sakura said grimly.

" **He is right." Celeste agreed with the heir. "It's a zero-sum game."**

"Huh?" Makoto gain a confuse look. "Zero-sum game?"

"What the heck does that mean?" Hina asked, still looking shock. "And why is future Celeste agreeing with him?"

"My future self will explain." Celeste said.

" **Huh?" Now Makoto turned to Celeste in confusion.**

" **It is part of game theory, a mathematical model." Celeste explained. "In game theory, what we are going through now is a 'zero-sum game'. In this type of game, in order for one person to gain something, another must necessarily lose something. In other words, it is a situation in which participants must compete for a position or limited resources."**

" **You mean like….a kind of elimination match." Sakura clarified.**

" **Entrance exams, sports tournament, job openings-most social interactions fall in this category." Celeste continued. "Everyone must scramble to obtain something which is limited. For you to succeed, someone else must fall. This also applies to the school life we have been subjected to here. In this case….our 'limited resource' is that only one of us can successfully become the blackened."**

" **So, this game was designed from the beginning to force one of us to try and defeat all the others." Byakuya stated.**

"Th-This is- How can the two of you treat this so casually?!" Makoto exclaimed. "As if this is a regular competition?!"

Byakuya gritted his teeth. "I….I don't have an explanation for this." And it was hard for him to admit that. This whole thing was similar to the Togami initiation he participated in years ago. Despite not showing it, a part of him never liked it. A couple years ago he may have acted like that, but seeing it the way he was now, was eerily wrong.

"I guess my future self is just adapting to this." Celeste suggested. But that was a lie. She knows why her future self is doing this. After all, she knows herself.

" **Th-That….that can't be what they had in mind!" Makoto protested.**

" **This is why adaption is so crucial." Celete chided him. "If those who want to escape were to disappear, there would be no reason to continue to playing the game."**

" **But why would I want to stop playing? It's so much fun….." An evil smile went on Byakuya's lips.**

"H-He thinks it's fun?!" Chihiro questioned, tears building up in her eyes.

"Did Celeste and Byakuya both lose their goddamn minds?" Mondo growled. "They're talking like fucking loons!"

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. From what she can guess, it's their way of coping through the whole ordeal. Acting as if this is a game to them, that they're untouchable.

Junko had to stop herself from giggling uncontrollably. She knew Byakuya was a perfect candidate for the killing games! His superior attitude wouldn't let him admit that he's in danger in the killing game, so he treats it like it's an actual game!

" **It sounds as if you do not acknowledge even the possibility that you may lose, am I right?" Celeste inquired.**

" **Of course." Byakuya confirmed.**

 **Celeste giggled at that. "You do not speak like the others. Exactly what I would expect from the Togami heir apparently."**

" **...It's just normal arrogance, isn't it?" Hiro questioned.**

Byakuya normally would've said that it wasn't arrogance, that it was pure confidence. But the way his future self is acting shocked him into silence.

" **You talk like that, but what if you end up dead?!" Hina retorted.**

" **I won't." Byakuya told her. "It simply isn't possible."**

Kyoko sighed in aggravation. Is Byakuya really arrogant enough to believe he can't be killed?

" **Who the fuck do you think you are?!" Mondo growled angrily.**

" **You know, I still just can't believe it," Byakuya suddenly said.**

" **Believe what?!" The biker questioned.**

" **That an uneducated, brain-dead, useless piece of garbage like you has survived this long." Byakuya stated coldly.**

"THE FUCK DID HE CALL ME?!" Mondo roared, looking ready to go over towards Byakuya and pummel him. Luckily, Chihiro and Taka grabbed his arms before he could. "Your future self is asking to die, Togami!"

Byakuya merely looked away, not bothering to address that with a response. But inwardly, he winced at what his future self said. He's condescending towards his classmates, sure, but he didn't ever go _this_ far.

 **That angered Mondo immensely. "I'm gonna fuckin' kill you!"**

" **Like I said. I won't die." Byakuya repeated.**

"Your arrogance might be your undoing, Byakuya." Kyoko remarked. "You are not invisible, and the situation isn't a game. Everyone's has an equal risk of death, and you're not an exception."

"I….know that." Byakuya reluctantly said to Kyoko.

" **You keep saying that, but-"**

Celeste interrupted Hiro. "Do not bother arguing with him." The gambler advised. "For him, the concept of losing simply does not exist. He is the Ultimate Affluent Progeny after all - a boy raised to succeed from the day was born."

" **He considers victory his destiny, and has lived his life accordingly." Celeste continued. "Tests and challenges are merely ways for him to stand victorious. Even if it is a life-and-death situation."**

"Yeah, that does describe Byakuya to a T." Makoto agreed with a sigh.

"Good thing we brought him to our level, thanks to Celeste and Kyoko." Junko chirped. "Give him a good old taste of a reality check."

"Silence, you fashion addict." Byakuya said in annoyance. He does not want to be reminded of the day Celeste and Kyoko knocked some of his arrogance out of him.

" **...Is that not so, Byakuya?" She directed that question to the heir himself.**

 **Byakuya smirked. "At least one of you seems to understand."**

" **It is because I am the same as you." Celeste declared. "Games are meant to be won."**

 **That wiped the smile off of Byakuya's face. "Are you trying to suggest we're on the same level?!" Byakuya questioned, as if insulted. "Close that vulgar mouth of yours."**

Celeste rolled her eyes. "I have forgotten the days you were that arrogant." The gambler casually said. "And that rudeness of yours."

 **That surprised Celeste a little. "Well, well. I do apologize."**

" **Anyway, let me say this to all of you." Byakuya addressed everyone in the room. "You all need to try harder. If an opponent isn't going to give it their best, where's the fun for me?"**

By now, nearly everyone is getting frustrated at the heir. "He actually thinks this is fun?!" Sayaka angrily said.

"People have died in the game! Our FRIENDS have died!" Hina growled.

Mukuro sighed. Arrogance has always been a trait she frowned upon whenever assessing members of her squad in Fenrir. More often than not, they are the ones who die on the battlefield first, thinking they are superior to everyone else.

"H-How could he say things like that?!" Chihiro exclaimed, the tears threatening to spill. She turned towards the present heir. "Why would you say those things, Byakuya?! It isn't a game! Not at all like a game!"

Byakuya continued to be silenced by his own behaviour as he simply crossed his arms and stared at the screen, not budging at all to the reactions all around him.

" **Th-That's a terribly way to look at it…." The one who stated that was none other than Chihiro.**

" **Hmm?"**

" **This….isn't a game." Chihiro stated to Byakuya, tearfully. "Our lives are on the line, you know….to kill your own friends is….is…."**

" **It's horrible!" She finally yelled.**

Her shout surprised the group. "Wow, Chihiro." Leon said in awe.

"I never thought you had it in you to speak up to Byakuya like that." Junko said, genuinely surprised by Chihiro's courage.

The programmer looked down. "W-Well, I couldn't stay silent while Byakuya say those things. It's just wrong."

"None of us disagree with you on that, Chihiro." Taka said comfortingly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

 **Byakuya scoffed. "Friends? Who decided that?"**

" **...Huh?"**

" **We're not friends." Byakuya stated. "No, quite the opposite. We're in competition-we're enemies."**

" **B-But….you know…." Tears began leaking out of Chihiro's eyes.**

" **But what?" Byakuya questioned in annoyance. "Stop trying to force your contradictions on me and accept what I'm telling you."**

" **U-Um…."**

" **Yes? If you have something to say, say it." Byakuya said harshly. "Otherwise, keep your mouth closed."**

Despite not being the one directly addressed by those words, Chihiro still instinctively recoiled and teared up. "I-I'm sorry…."

"Don't be. He's the one who's wrong." Leon said, clearly bitter about the way he was treating Chihiro in the future.

"Yeah! Calling this game fun, declaring that he isn't friends with us, and making poor Chihiro cry!" Hina stated, just as angry.

"This behavior is definitely not something I approve of." Sakura said softly, her eyes closed.

" **Hey, shithead!" Mondo shouted. "You get off on bullying people that can't fight back?! You wanna try that on me?!"**

" **So, you're back to pretending to be friends, huh?" Byakuya remarked. "And how long do you think that's gonna last?"**

" **Fuck you!"**

" **Is that all you can say?" Byakuya asked him. "It's unfortunate you would waste your breathe on such empty gibberish."**

That was the last straw for Mondo. "You're a dead man, Togami!" He roared and prepared to charge the Togami heir.

But before he could, Chihiro got in front of him and held her hands up. "Don't, Mondo!" Chihiro pleaded. "It's only the future Byakuya that's saying this, not Byakuya himself! You can't hurt him for what he can't control!"

Mondo growled, looking at the very still Byakuya with an angry glare before slowly sitting back down.

"I don't blame him for wanting to strangle him." Sayaka muttered darkly. After all, she herself is pissed at Byakuya, and was before during the investigation of her murder.

 **That ticked Mondo off even further. "That's it! You're fuckin dead!"**

 **Before Mondo could do just that, Hina got in front of him and held her hands up in a placating way. "H-Hold on! Just calm down!"**

" **I AM calm!"**

" **How is this 'calm'?!" She questioned in disbelief.**

"Yeah! You look like a raging bull!" Hina pointed out. Then she looked at the currently angry Mondo. "You look like one now too!"

"Can you blame him?" Leon asked. "Byakuya is working his short temper here."

 **Byakuya turned away from everyone. "Anyway….I don't have any intention of working with the rest of you any longer." Byakuya declared. "To cooperate during an elimination game is….well, frankly, it's a waste of time. And I hate wasting my time."**

" **Waste of time….?" Makoto asked in disbelief.**

" **Engaging is 'friendly' group meals is out of the question. Someone could easily poison our food." The Togami heir pointed out. "And I'd rather not become part of the Last Supper just yet."**

" **Quit talking like you're in a fuckin' movie or something!" Mondo growled at him.**

 **Byakuya began walking out. "All I'm saying is that, ultimately, you are all free to do whatever you want on your own. Goodbye." And with that, Byakuya left.**

The group was silent, digesting what Byakuya told them. "Was….was he actually serious?" Hiro asked hesitantly.

"Yes. It appears that, in fact, he is." Celeste sighed.

"Ho-How could he say crap like that?!" Hina questioned in anger and disbelief. "Treat it like a game?!"

"It's insane!" Hifumi agreed. Would the heir really act like that in the situation?

"But why?" Taka questioned. The moral compass turned to the heir. "Why would you say such things?"

Byakuya sighed. "Think what you like. If I had an answer to this, I would have shared it already." He said with a little less confidence than his usual demeanor.

" **Was he serious about all that….?" Hiro asked hesitantly.**

" **He was, without a doubt." Celeste confirmed.**

" **Well fuck him, then." Mondo stated.**

" **B-But what he said….he might not be n-necessarily be wrong…." Toko argued.** " **I mean, can you s-say for sure someone won't poison our f-food?"**

"Seriously, Toko?!" Hina exclaimed with mouth agape.

Leon rolled his eyes. "Of course you would try to defend him!" Leon griped. "The dude could do nothing wrong in your eyes!"

"Sh-Shut it. M-Master's perfect in every way." Toko hissed at him. "Y-You should wish to b-be like him."

"Uh, no thanks. Rather not be an arrogant asshole."

" **Hey, come on! You too, Toko?!" Hina exclaimed.**

" **Well, it's n-not like anyone would care even if I w-was gone, right….?" Toko asked all of them. "Actually, I bet you all w-want me gone! You all think I'm d-digusting!"**

That got sighs from everyone, with Sayaka being the first to speak. "Oh no…."

"Here goes her 'Enemies everywhere' mode." Hiro continued.

Toko did not take that well. "Wh-Who gave a-all of you permission to assign me a m-mode?!"

 **Makoto waved his hands in protest. "None of us think that…."**

" **You j-just think you don't think that!" Toko accused.**

 **Hiro sighed. "I know some people like to play the victim, but this is just….totally out there."**

" **You think I d-don't know, but I do….you want me g-gone!" Toko declared. "And I'm s-sure….the rest of you want the same th-thing, do you?!" With that statement, she ran away from everyone.**

"Seriously, what the hell kind of life did you have to become….that?" Mondo questioned.

"A whole lot of factors could lead to that kind of mentality actually." Mukuro chimed in. "Persistent betrayal, lack of socialization, lack of support from family and friends in addition with continues physical trauma, childhood trauma, emotional trauma... and the list goes on." The soldier began explaining, but ended it short as she noticed Toko getting more uncomfortable by the second.

"For a soldier, you seem to know a lot about this topic." Kyoko said, causing Mukuro to shrug.

"Had to research for one of my escort mission."

"Well whatever it is, I'm contempt not knowing whatever it is." Leon stated.

"As you should be." Makoto and Byakuya muttered.

" **Ah, hey! Toko wait!" Makoto shouted, but there was no stopping her.**

" **Just let her go. Once she gets going like that, there's nothing you can say to bring her back." Celeste advised as Makoto stopped at the door. As the writer's footsteps faded into silence, everyone stood there taking in everything that had transpired.**

"Soo, it seems like rich boy and emo girl are going to be alone for a while." Junko commented.

Sakura sighed. "It appears so."

"Can't say that I'm too surprised about this." Sayaka said. "Those two are the most anti-social out of us all."

' _Not to mention their difficult personalities.'_ Makoto thought to himself. Best not to say that out loud, lest he earns their wrath.

"Still….I don't think any of us expected Byakuya to say those things." Sayaka continued, clenching her fist in anger. "Treating it like a game, saying that he's having fun…."

"And saying that he plans to kill someone." Hiro added.

"But…..will he?" Hifumi asked nervously. No one had an immediate answer to that one, even the brilliant minded Togami heir found himself to be baffled by the one person he knew the most.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. And once again, I hope my allergies didn't bring down the quality. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **Editor: Don't worry, I got you :)**


	28. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P4

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So….you're all probably wondering what kept me from updating sooner this time? Well, it was mainly because I had difficulty choosing which freetime to do and when to do it. Add in a couple of days with a stomach virus, college work, and a computer overheat, then it makes it impossible to finish it on schedule.**

 **Oh, and the release of Danganronpa V3 in english dub. I forgot how addicting Danganronpa was….**

 **So, sorry for taking longer than usual once again to update the story. Trust me, my liking for it is still very strong. Life is just trying to slow me down right now. So, that's out of the way. On this chapter, we're gonna be starting more freetime conversations. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Questions and Inquiries:**

 **Q: After you finish the story, will you do any of the extra scenes then?  
L: As spirit mentioned before, I don't think he will be down to do it. But since it's such a common request amongst the reviewers, I might just take it upon myself to do it as soon as I get on top of my own stuff. However at this point, I cannot guarantee that it will happen. (By the way, if you do follow me, I'm not dead. Just crawling... very very slowly...will explain with my next upload)  
S: Yep, what Lucky said.**

 **Q: Will you have Genocide Jack react to Byakuya copying her methods of killing?  
S: Jack will be present at some point during the trials, that's how much I can say right now.**

Chapter 27: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 4

" **Hey, Makoto. You know what I think?" Hiro asked the luckster. The two were in one of the classrooms at the first floor. "You and me meeting like this? It wasn't a coincidence."**

"What made you think that?" Leon questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"When I read my own future." Hiro answered. "So when it did happen, I knew our meeting wasn't a coincidence."

Makoto groaned at the reminder of that fortune, more so when he realized what conversation they're watching. Sayaka looked at him in concern. "What's wrong, Makoto?"

"Its... uh... it's something interesting.." Makoto said, carefully picking out his words.

" **So I've got some good news for you! I'm gonna give you a psychic reading at a huge discount!"**

" **A discount…..?"**

" **Normally it's a thousand bucks for two hours." Hiro explained. "But for you? Let's call it nine hundred!"**

"SAY WHAAAA?!" Hifumi exclaimed in shock. "A thousand bucks?!"

"EXTORTION IS NOT WELCOME IN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT!" Taka screamed.

"And nine-hundred? That's only a hundred less!" Hina stated, throwing her hands up.

"You call ten percent a huge discount?" Celeste questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Well, that's all the more reason why I shouldn't get a fortune from you."

"Hey, my fortunes are worth the price! Believe me!" Hiro cried out.

" **That's only a hundred-dollar discount!" Makoto pointed out in disbelief. "And even then that's way too expensive!"**

" **Hey, come on! You should count yourself lucky that the Ultimate Clairvoyant is willing to tell your future!" Hiro said in offense.**

"Yeah, right. Lucky." Makoto mumbled to himself.

" **...So are you right every often?" Makoto inquired.**

" **I sure am!" Hiro confirmed. "At the bare minimum, I've got a 30% chance of accuracy!"**

'3 _ **0%? That sounds pretty sketchy….'**_ **Makoto thought skeptically.**

"That isn't sketchy at all!" Hiro cried out.

"Um, it is." Hina backed up Makoto. "Who would a want fortune that's only 30% accurate?"

"A 30% chance of being accurate." Byakuya corrected. "Makes me wonder how that fool got people to buy those fortunes."

"You guys are haters! All of you!"

" **For real? Don't make that face!" Hiro exclaimed angrily. "Didn't you hear what I said?! 30% of the time, I'm right! That includes natural disasters, election results, you name it! Don't you realize how amazing that is?!"**

"Amazing?" Toko scoffed. "I-In your dreams."

"With that type of advertisement, I doubt anyone would pay for it." Junko remarked. "How did you earn a million bucks then?"

"Probably because our dear fortune teller don't mention that little fact. Am I wrong?" Celeste asked mischievously. Said fortune teller stayed silent at this.

" **Umm…."**

" **Okay, fine!" Hiro huffed. "I'll give you a special trial run! After all, I've already seen what the future has in store for you!"**

Makoto covered his face in his hands. This is not something he's look forward to reliving. Sayaka and Hina looked at him in concern. "What's wrong, Makoto?" Sayaka asked him. "What are we about to hear?"

"Something I pray to God doesn't happen." Makoto's muffled voice groan.

" **What?! When did you see it?!" Makoto exclaimed.**

" **You won't believe what I saw," The clairvoyant snickered. "It would appear that the mother of your children, and the mother of my children, are the same woman!"**

There was a small moment of silence before the class erupted with their reactions all at once.

"Say what?!" Hina recoiled in shock and disgust. "Eww!"

"I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT POLYGAMY IS ALSO ILLEGAL!" Taka cried out.

"That's your fortune, Makoto?!" Sayaka exclaimed, her spine crawling. Makoto merely nodded, his hands still covering his face.

Celeste's smile was eerily calm. "It would seem that your fortune is incorrect."

"What? But you don't know-"

"It would seem that it would be incorrect." Celeste repeated, with a bit more force.

Unfortunately, the fortune teller didn't see the warning of danger. "Hey, come on! Why are you so insistent that it's wr-"

"Hiro, you better shut up before I rip that porcupine head of yours!" Celeste shouted in rage, looking ready to do just that.

Hiro yelped and leaned way back into his chair. "Y-Yes, ma'am! Will do ma'am!"

Mondo sighed and facepalm. "Well, that's a fortune we can say for sure is wrong."

"Yeah." Leon agreed with a snort. "Like there's any girl would want to be with Hiro, of all people." Especially not any of 'these' girls.

Kyoko and Mukuro, while showing no noticeable hints of disgust, had their nose scrunched up after hearing it. The thought of being with Hiro, of all people….none of them wanted to consider that.

No one noticed the small smirk on Spirit's face.

" **I refuse! Denied! Don't like it!" Makoto refuted immediately.**

" **Doesn't matter if you don't like it! That's just the way it is." Hiro told him.**

" **...30% accuracy, you said?"**

" **At least." Hiro answered.**

' _ **I-I pray to everything holy that you're wrong!'**_ **Makoto pleaded in his mind.** ' _ **Please, be wrong!'**_

"Don't worry, Makoto." Kyoko said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I can say with absolute certainty, that he's wrong."

"Yeah. No way the two of you will be with same woman." Sayaka said fervently. Hina, Mukuro, and Celeste nodded in thanks.

"Um, thanks." Makoto, while grateful for their confidence, was a bit confused. They really care that much about it?

At that thought, Leon, Mondo, Byakuya, and Toko felt the urge to facepalm.

"AGAIN, I MUST REMIND YOU THAT POLYGAMY IS ILLEGAL!" Taka cried out from his seat.

" **Now then, since that was a special trial run, I'm afraid I can't apply the discount." Hiro stated. "That'll be one thousand dollars, please! Don't worry, you can pay me after we get outta here."**

"Say what?! He's making you pay for a trial run?!" Hina exclaimed, mouth agape.

"That's not how a trial run works! Hell, that's not even how business works!" Leon sighed.

Makoto nodded with a sigh of his own. "He still wants me to."

"If you didn't ask for the fortune, then there is no need for you to pay for it." Mukuro said coldly, turning to Hiro. "Right, Hiro?"

Hiro gulped. "W-Well, I need to make a living som-" When he looked over and saw the intense look from the soldier, he reiterated. "I-I mean, right! Of course I wouldn't!"

Mukuro nodded and leaned back comfortably into her chair, satisfied with his answer.

" **W-Wait, hold on-!" Makoto protested. "But there's no way you're gonna be right, right?!"**

" **If you like, I can do a reading right now to see whether my reading was right or not." Hiro offered. "Naturally, additional fees will apply!"**

"Don't do it, it's a trap!" Hifumi squealed.

"Yeah, I knew that." Makoto sighed. "Still, it was tempting to know whether that fortune was right or not." He shuddered. "I do not want to imagine my children having the same mother as Hiro's."

"Is it really that bad of a thought?"

"Yes." Was the unanimous answer of everyone. The clairvoyant hung his head at this.

"MUST I KEEP REMINDING YOU THAT POLYGA-mmph!"

"Oh for crying out loud, shut up will you?" Mondo sighed as he held Taka down, with Chihiro silently apologizing on the biker's behalf.

 **Hiro then began leaving the classroom. "Think about it, okay? Let me know as soon as you're ready for my services." He then left with a laugh.**

' _ **Oh….he's gone….'**_ **Makoto thought absentmindedly.** ' _ **Do I have enough in my bank account to take another crack at it….?'**_

" **...No!" Makoto shook his head, erasing that thought. "I can't bring myself to pay for something like that!" He then sighed.** ' _ **I can see how people could fall into that kind of cycle, though. That was close….'**_

"At least you had the common sense to shake that thought away." Byakuya remarked with a sigh.

"Yeah." The luckster agreed, sounding sheepish. "Otherwise, I would've ended up broke."

" **Please, whoever's listening, I'm begging you," Makoto pleaded. "Whatever else happens, don't let him be right!"**

' _Definitely not!'_ Was the thought of all five girls with crushes on Makoto.

Leon scoffed. "The day I see Hiro with a girl is the day I see Byakuya dating Toko."

"Don't even entertain that nightmarish thought." Byakuya said coldly.

 **The scene switched to Makoto walking in the second hall once again. As he walked, he saw Taka checking out some of the classrooms. "Taka?" Makoto called out, getting the honor student's attention. "What are you doing here?"**

" **Oh, hello Makoto!" Taka greeted with his usual energy. "Just checking out the classrooms, making sure they're in fit learning condition!"**

"Why bother?" Hiro asked in confusion. "I mean, there's no teachers around to, know you, teach."

"Even so, it's best to make sure they're in top condition, so when the school is liberated, then they can be usable!" Taka stated. "After all, no one would want to be in unfit classrooms!"

"That should really be the least of their worries right now." Makoto said with a sweatdrop.

" **Why?" He asked curiously.**

" **While there aren't any teachers around, some of us might want to continue studying in the classrooms!" Taka explained. "And it best to study in a clean and sturdy classroom!"**

"That, too! Well said, future me!"

"Only you would study at a time like that!" Leon retorted.

' _ **Of course.'**_ **Makoto thought with a sweatdrop.**

" **Hey, Makoto! As long as we're talking, let's REALLY talk, whaddya say?!" Taka requested.**

" **Huh?" Makoto was a bit startled at the request. "Oh, sure, that's fine…."**

" **Excellent!" Taka said cheerfully. "Then let's get down to the brass tacks and find out where we stand on all the big issues! So, what should we discuss? Politics? The economy? International affairs?!"**

"...Are you having a normal conversation or a debate club?" Leon deadpanned.

"For Taka, it's one and the same." Celeste remarked. The Moral Compass studiously ignored the two.

" **Wait, hold on." Makoto protested, holding his hands up. "Instead of a big, serious discussion, can't we just have a normal conversation? That's the best way to learn about people, I think."**

" **What do you mean by a 'normal conversation'?" Taka inquired.**

" **Umm….well, for example…." Makoto tried to think up of a good example. "What do you like to do in your spare time?"**

" **Study, of course!" Taka answered, as if it was obvious. "I'm a student, aren't I? A student must be a studying professional! And of course my duties as the chairperson of the moral committee keep me quite busy, after all! It's my duties to foster an environment in which we can all focus on our studies!"**

" **Okay, but….what else?" Makoto asked hesitantly. "Like when you're at home, or you just have some time to kill?"**

" **If I have time to kill, I study!"**

"Holy crap!" Hina remarked with wide eyes bewilderment. "You know, there's such a thing as too much studying."

"There's never such a thing as too much studying!" Taka rebuked. "Like I said, a student must be studying professional!"

"If that's the case, why do we have idiots like Hiro and Leon?" Byakuya remarked.

"Hey!" Leon protested. "Don't saddle me up with Hiro! At least I get better grades than he does!"

"You guys are just mean." Hiro muttered dejectedly.

" **I….see…."**

 **Taka laughed in joy. "This is fun! Okay, my turn. Makoto! What do you like to do in your spare time?"**

" **Um, you know, just normal stuff." Makoto answered, rubbing the back of his head. "Watching TV, playing video games…."**

" **Huh? And this helps you study….how?"**

" **N-No, it's not about studying. It's just for fun, ya know?" Makoto tried to explain.**

 **But Taka was having none of it. "But doing things 'just for fun' serves no purpose! There must be more to it. You wouldn't spend your valuable time doing something useless, would you?"**

"I'm glad you and Mondo broke him out of that, somewhat." Leon muttered to Makoto. "But how did you convince him to change his mind about actually enjoying his life?"

"Um, you'll get that answer soon." Makoto answered sheepishly.

' _ **He can insist all he wants, but in the end….'**_ **Then a thought came into Makoto's mind.** ' _ **But wait. Maybe….'**_

" **You know how it's useful?" Makoto began. "It helps you give you something to talk about with other people!"**

Leon whistled. "Nice one, dude."

"It helped in the long run, somewhat." Makoto said sheepishly.

 **That got Taka's attention. "Something to talk about….?"**

" **Like when you see something awesome on TV, or some awesome game, and you want to share it with someone." Makoto continued. "You'll find other people who feel the same way, and that's how you make friends. See?"**

" **Wh….?" Taka looked completely shock at this. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-?!" Finally, he shouted. "Of course! I was once blind, but now I finally see!"**

The others recoiled in shock at this. "What the heck?!" Hina exclaimed in shock.

"What's wrong with him?" Junko questioned.

Taka was the one to answer. "He just made the realization of a lifetime."

" **That kind of thing plagued me for years," Taka moaned. "I've tried making friends, but whenever I would make conversation, it would die after a few minutes. And now….I've finally found the answer…."**

" **I need to study more games! More TV shows!" Taka declared.**

"Study games? TV shows?" Hifumi repeated in disbelief. "You don't study them! You enjoy them!"

"I fail to see the distinct difference."

"That's because you're a study freak, Taka." Leon deadpanned.

" **N-No, you don't need to 'study' them…." Makoto attempted to tell him.**

 **But Taka wasn't listening. "Ahh, I'm so ashamed of myself! If there was a hole somewhere around here, I'd totally hide in it! I let it get to me, I wasted all that time….I never saw the blind spot in my studies!"**

 **"I'm a complete embarrassment!" Taka continued ranting. "I'm not qualified to even be on the morals committee, let alone lead it!"**

"It's was the most shameful day for me!" Taka moaned dramatically. "But now I have improved, enough to be worthy to lead the moral committee!"

"Sometimes, I worry about you bro." Mondo admitted.

" **I-I don't think it's that big of a deal…."**

 **Taka interrupted him, stating this. "Thank you, Professor Makoto!"**

" **Professor?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock.**

The others was also surprised by this. "He actually calls you a professor?" Junko asked Makoto, slightly amused. The luckster rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at this.

"Yeah. Been doing so whenever we have those kind of talks."

"And it's a rightfully earned title!" Taka declared. "Makoto has been teaching me things I severely lacked knowledge of, ways to make more friends!"

"Maybe Toko and Byakuya should have a class with Makoto?" Hiro asked.

The resulted in a glare Byakuya. "Care to repeat that, Hiro?"

Hiro gulped, "Nothing! I said nothing!"

"I thought so."

" **You've taught me a most valuable lesson!" Taka explained. "You've earned my respect, and the title of professor!"**

" **Th-That's gonna make things super awkward….!"**

 **Taka merely laughed at this. "There's no need to be modest, Professor! I can't wait for your next lesson! And until then, I will strive to learn as much as I can on my own! Well then, Professor- by your leave!" Without waiting for a reply, Taka went off.**

 **Makoto blinked in slight bewilderment before slowly getting out of the classroom. As he walked around the hallway, he mused on the new title Taka gave him. "Professor…."** ' _ **That….doesn't sound to bad. Professor Makoto….'**_

Makoto blushed at that thought being revealed, especially when his friends turn to look at him. "So, being called a Professor doesn't so bad, huh?" Hina remarked with a grin.

"So, our little Makoto isn't so modest after all." Junko stated, with a similar grin.

"Lay off, you guys!" Makoto whined, his blush a bit bigger. "It's not like I developed a big ego from the title!"

Sayaka considered teasing Makoto about, the way she usually does, but decided not to. Their friendship had taken a crack, she's not sure she should do that right now.

"So the thought of being a teacher appeals to you... interesting." Kyoko spoke to herself, a small smirk on her face.

The redness on the luckster's cheek did not diminish. "Well, er, uh…."

"That's excellent! You would make for a wonderful teacher, Professor!" Taka stated passionately.

Byakuya sighed. "Let's continue this," Byakuya said firmly, much to Makoto's relief. "You all can tease Makoto about it, later."

"Byakuya!" The heir ignored his friend's shout.

 **The luckster stopped his musing when he noticed Hina leaning on the wall near the workout room. "Hina?" Makoto called out, walking towards her.**

 **The girl didn't respond back, looking down sadly. "Is something wrong, Hina….?" Makoto asked in concern. Again, the swimmer didn't answer.**

"W-Wow. The i-idiot swimmer really looked depressed." Toko noted.

"Oh come on, Toko!" Hina whined. "Are you really gonna revive that name again?!"

"She kinda has a point, though." Chihiro pointed out. "You do look rather down."

" **I've reached my limit…." Hina moaned. "I'm stuck in here, can't do any sports, can't do anything! I'm sick of this!"**

"Oh…." Was the overall reaction with the group. They forgot that this was torture for Hina, who possesses a near endless amount of energy.

Hina, at the reminder of her other's suffering, dropped her in head sympathy. "Oh, poor future me!"

"She has a pool though." Hifumi pointed out. "Why not use that?"

"Just a pool, isn't enough!" Hina argued. "I may love it, but I want to see the sunlight as I swim, feel the wind rushing around me as I come to the surface! With the windows all blocked, I can't have that!"

Sakura put a hand on Hina's shoulder, understanding what Hina's going through. After all, her own future self must feel limited, being confided in the school.

" **I wanna get out under the sun and do some laps! Run a marathon! I wanna do some real SPORTS!"**

" **H-Hina!" Makoto slightly stepped back from the energetic girl. "Calm down, okay?!"**

 **But that fell on deaf ears. "I can't do ANYTHING in here! If I can't move around, I'm gonna DIE, like a BUNNY RABBIT!"**

" **But…." Makoto brought up hesitantly. "I always heard rabbits die from loneliness…."**

Cue facepalms. "Really, Makoto?" Leon sighed. "While Hina's comparison was god awful, did you have to say that?"

"Well, it's true, right?"

"I doubt she fucking cares right now." Mondo stated.

" **Whatever! I'm gonna die if I can't get some proper physical activity!" Hina exclaimed.**

" **Don't think you think that's a little extreme….?" Makoto pointed out.**

" **You think I'm kidding, don't you?" Hina accused. "But I seriously can't sit still, you know? Why else would I have joined six sport teams in school?"**

 **Makoto's eyes widen in shock. "Six?!"**

"No matter how many times I hear it, I'm still surprise that she can do that many sports." Leon muttered loudly. "She has the energy of my entire baseball team."

"I'm still wondering how Hina gets all this energy from." Celeste mused on. "It's like she doesn't run out, at all."

"She definitely has as much energy as few of the soldiers in Fenrir." Mukuro said. If she had the skills to fight in battle and the instincts of a survivor, she would've been a valuable soldier.

" **Yeah!" Hina confirmed. "Track, basketball, softball, volleyball, tennis, and the big one….the big one?" Before she could finish, she ran out of energy.**

 **Makoto then finished it. "It's swimming, right?"**

" **Yeah, you got it…." Hina nodded. Then she let out a groan. "I don't even care what stroke it is. Just get me in a pool under the blue sky!"**

" **But isn't it hard to do that many sports, even for you?" Makoto pointed out.**

" **If I can't move, I'll just shrivel up and die," Hina stated. "And I need a challenge! More and more new stuff to try….!"**

" **A challenge….?"**

" **What I really love about sports isn't winning, ya know?" Hina began explaining. "It's having to fight and struggle and give it all to reach the top. It's that excitement, that fear you might suffer a heartbreaking loss. And then when you finally reach that goal, it's just….lonely. It's lonely at the top, ya know?"**

Several blinked at that small speech she gave. "Wow, Hina." Chihiro said in awe. "That's very profound."

"I agree. Who knew that the athletic airhead have a philosophical side?" Celeste voiced.

Byakuya nodded. "Almost surprising as Hiro spouting intelligence."

"Is there a time the two of you aren't being hurtful?" Hina whined.

 **Makoto looked at Hina in amazement.** ' _ **I can't really relate, since I never really got into sports.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **But I could tell that the reason Hina was so amazing was how hard she could fight and struggle.'**_

Hina blushed at hearing Makoto's thought. "You….really think that I'm amazing, Makoto?"

The luckster, who was blushing at having his thoughts reveal once again, nodded. "The fact that you do sports for that struggle, instead of just to win, is amazing Hina. That part of you is really special."

The swimmer have a deep blush on her face. "Thank you." She muttered, looking away, leaving the other girls slightly displeased by the lack of praise going their way.

" **So that's why I want to push myself as hard as possible when it comes to swimming." Hina began concluding. "I want to aim for the very highest mountaintop!"**

" **The highest mountaintop….?"**

" **I'm talkin' about the gold metal, of course!" Hina declared. "Aim for the gold, even if it means I'm a super gold spaz!"**

' _ **Did she just call herself….?'**_ **Makoto thought in confusion. Shaking his head, he began speaking. "Okay, but if that's what you want, isn't that all the more reason? If you have a goal, why are you standing around making excuses?"**

"Hey!" Hina shouted in offense. "When did she said that she's making excuses?!"

"Just let future me explain." Makoto said, holding his hands up.

" **Excuses?" Hina repeated. That got her slightly angry. "Hey! When did I ever make any excuses?!"**

" **Sure, maybe we're stuck in her right now, with no way out." Makoto continued. "But if you really want to make an effort, shouldn't you try to see what you can do in here?"**

Hina blinked at this. "...Yeah, he's right." She said, somewhat to herself. "If I want to get that gold medal, I need to the very best I could and not make any excuses."

"And this is why we come to Makoto for advice." Sakura said with a smile.

"Yeppers!" Junko chirped. "He's like our personal counselor!" The luckster rubbed his head sheepishly as he blushed. He doesn't think it's that big of a deal.

 **Hina recoiled in shock at this. "Th-That's a challenge! You just made an official challenge!" She then frown in thought. "But….I think you're right. If I want to get that gold medal, I have to make every effort I can. I want to become a 'genius of effort'! I bet Ian Thorpe said something like that!"**

" **Yeah! I can't go around making excuses, just cuz we're stuck in here!" Hina decided. "Alright! I think I'm gonna go do some push-ups in my room! Like maybe around a thousand or something!" With that, Hina ran out of the hallway.**

"I'm still trying to figure out how much energy she has to burn." Sayaka admitted with a sigh. "It's almost endless."

"No argument there." Leon remarked. "I mean, seriously, what normal person would do a thousand push-ups?"

"Any exercise nut in Hope's Peak." Junko chimed.

 **Makoto smiled as he watched her go. "She recovered as fast and strong as I would have expected…."**

"Yeah. It's definitely not a surprise there." Makoto said. "There are very few things that could keep her down."

"Uh-huh."

"Definitely."

"It's extremely difficult to keep her depressed for long."

Hina blushed at the compliments washed over her. Then, she realized something. ' _Wait a minute….I got some alone time with Makoto!'_ She grinned at this. ' _Woohoo!'_

At the same time, Kyoko, Mukuro, Celeste, and Sayaka felt the urge to glare at Hina.

 **The scene then switched to Makoto entering the room.** ' _ **Another day, gone….'**_ **Makoto thought tiredly.** ' _ **But even though today is over….this 'game' definitely isn't. How long is this gonna keep going?'**_ **With that thought in mind, he laid down in bed.**

 **The next morning, Makoto and the others are gathered hall once again. The only ones not present were Toko and Byakuya. "Is this….everyone?" Taka asked hesitantly. "It feels a little….small."**

' _ **Byakuya and Toko stormed off yesterday.'**_ **Makoto recalled.** ' _ **It's not that surprising they're aren't here right now.'**_

Some frowned as they recalled what they had seen in the library. "Right. I briefly forgot that Byakuya decided not to join us for breakfast." Taka said with a sigh. "With the suspicion of someone poisoning his food."

"And Toko, being the loyal fucking puppy she is, followed his lead." Mondo remarked irritably.

"I-I am not a dog!"

" **Even the table looks bigger somehow." Taka noted sadly.**

" **I assume that is because three people are dead, and two are abstaining." Celeste pointed out.**

"Which leaves two-third still united, somewhat." Celeste stated with a sigh. "Or five-eighth, counting Junko."

"Definitely an decrease in our numbers." Sayaka said sadly.

" **Yeah, I guess with five people missing, I guess it would feel kinda empty." Makoto admitted sadly.**

" **Still….I know Byakuya's whatever, but should we check on Toko?" Hina asked in concern.**

" **I vote no. She's super annoying." Hiro stated.**

Toko glared at Hiro for that. "Y-You're more annoying, you cowardly fortune teller!"

"I'm not cowardly!"

' _You kinda are, Hiro.'_ Makoto deadpanned, remembering when Hiro begged him to donate his organs. That's a conversation he remembers quite well.

" **How can you be so cold?" Celeste questioned. "You are like a piece of rock candy."**

" **What?! No, rock candy isn't cold! It's sweet!" Taka refuted.**

" **...Anyway, Byakuya's the real problem." Mondo went back to the main subject. "If we don't keep an eye on him, he might really kill someone. You can see it in his eyes…."**

 **He growled. "We got no choice! Get some rope! We're gonna hafta keep him bound and gagged!"**

"Oh, that's a good idea! Tie him up to stop him from doing anything crazy!" Hina stated. Then she started pondering. "Maybe we can do that to him whenever he gets too uppity?"

Leon grinned at that. "I would pay good money to see that!"

"Try it, and you'll regret it." Byakuya remarked coldly.

" **I think that's going a little overboard…." Makoto said nervously.**

" **He's right! In this situation, there's nothing scarier than when an ally turns loose cannon!" Taka stated. "It's just like when we were kids, and someone would go crazy at sports day or whatever!"**

" **What the fuck are you talking about?!" Mondo exclaimed. "You gonna use the rope to do tug of war or something?! Idiot!"**

 **Taka recoiled in shock at this. "I'm not an idiot….!" He then pointed a finger at Mondo. "YOU'RE an idiot!"**

" **Who are you callin' stupid?!" Mondo growled.**

The group was a bit surprise at seeing Mondo and Taka fighting. "Wow, I did not see that coming." Junko whistled. "I'm used to seeing those all buddy-buddy now."

"I'm with you there." Hina agreed. "I forgot that the two of them were at each other's throat in the beginning."

"As it should be! Bro and I now have a brotherly bond so strong that nothing can break it!" Taka declared passionately.

"Damn straight!" Mondo agreed with the moral compass. "Anyone tries to, and I'll pound their face in!"

 **Makoto sighed as they began arguing before noticing a saddened Chihiro across from him. "Huh? What's wrong, Chihiro? You don't look so great…."**

" **Oh, I'm just going through some….self-loathing." Chihiro explained.**

"Self-loathing?" Makoto repeated.

"But why are you mad at yourself?" Sayaka asked in concern.

Chihiro looked away. "I have a guess, but I think future me will explain."

" **Huh? Self-loathing?"**

" **Well, after what Byakuya said to me yesterday….I just got so nervous, I locked up. I couldn't say anything." Chihiro explained further. "Mondo ended up having to help me out. And even 'he' said I was someone who 'can't fight back'. I….I hate how weak I am."**

"Mondo! You made Chihiro depressed!" Sayaka said with a glare.

The biker held his hands up. "How was he supposed to know what to say in front of her?!" Then he sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "But….sorry, Chihiro. I know that's a sensitive topic for you."

Chihiro smiled. "It's okay, Mondo. I don't hold it against you."

" **Ahh, I see. So Mondo made you depressed." Hina sighed.**

" **What?! How's it my fault?!" Mondo exclaimed. "I wasn't tryin' to be mean! Besides, girls are just naturally weak anyway right?!"**

"Wait a minute….we girls are what now?" Junko asked slowly, turning towards the biker. Hina, Kyoko, Sakura, Mukuro, and Sayaka also turned to the biker, each of them having an intense glare.

Mondo, along with some of the other guys, paled. "Well, I, what I meant was….." Mondo struggled to find the right words.

Celeste giggled. "Ahh, when the hunter becomes the hunted. This will be interesting."

"You fool! Those are one of the many things you don't say about girls! Your hp will take a direct hit!" Hifumi exclaimed.

"Girls, please don't get angry at Mondo." Chihiro pleaded with the girls. "Besides, he didn't mean anything bad about it."

The girls stared at Mondo for a moment longer before turning away. "Fine. But only because you say so, Chihiro." Hina sighed. It's hard refusing something from Chihiro.

 **Chihiro was silent for a moment. Then, slowly, started crying, startling Mondo. "Are you….crying?"**

" **It's cuz you were screaming like a lunatic!" Hina pointed out. Chihiro continued crying, with some small hiccups coming out of her.**

Chihiro looked away from herself, shame coursing her body. She really was weak, if simply yelling could make her cry.

At least she's getting a bit better….but not as much as she would like.

" **Hey, c'mon, don't cry," Mondo slightly pleaded. "I-It's my fault, okay? I won't yell at you anymore…."**

" **Really? Not sure I can believe that…." Hina said in doubt.**

" **J-Just shut up," Mondo told her. Then an idea come into his head. "I got! I'll make you a promise as a man!"**

 **Chihiro looked up at that. "Promise….as a man?"**

" **Maybe I mentioned this before, but….ever since I was a kid, there was one thing my brother told me over and over again." Mondo explained. "He said no matter what, a real man ALWAYS keeps his promises. That's what he left me."**

" **Left you?" Hifumi inquired.**

" **Oh yeah….my brother's dead." Mondo informed, looking down.**

Mondo looked down, gripping his fist. Chihiro and Taka patted his shoulder in comfort.

" **Oh….I see…." Is all what Makoto could say.**

" **Anyways, I don't wanna talk about it. Don't wanna make you guys cry!" Mondo then grinned at Chihiro. "Anyway, so you can trust me when I make that promise. So you don't gotta cry anymore!"**

 **Chihiro wiped the tears out of her eyes. "O-Okay." Chihiro then smiled at Mondo. "Thank you….Mondo."**

" **S-Sure…." Mondo looked away with a slight blush.**

Mondo turned away, feeling a bit weird. Damn it, does Chihiro have play such a convincing girl?

" **But….I still don't like how I am right now. I have to get stronger." Chihiro stated, the smile gone. "If I'm so weak anything can make me cry….that's not good."**

"Well, you're getting better." Leon noted. "It's getting harder for some things to make you cry.

"But still, I don't think I'm as strong I as I want to be yet." Chihiro said, wringing her wrists a little.

" **Still, don't stress out too much about having to get stronger." Makoto advised.**

 **Chihiro shook her head. "No….I want to get stronger. Maybe I should….start working out."**

" **In that case, I would be happy to help you out anytime." Sakura offered.**

" **B-But then Miss Fujisaki would get smashed into a billion pieces!" Hifumi screamed.**

" **Shut up, you." Hina slightly growled.**

"What makes you think Sakura would do that?!" Hina questioned.

"Cause Miss Ogami is so big and Miss Fujisaki is so little!" Hifumi exclaimed. "The training Sakura does would break her!"

"Honestly, Hifumi, I wouldn't put her in that level of training." Sakura huffed. "I would make sure she does something that fits her strength level."

 **Chihiro giggled as she watches the interaction. "Oh, finally cracked a smile, huh?" Hiro noted.**

" **Y-Yeah…." The programmer smiled at everyone. "Everyone….thank you."**

 **Makoto smiled at this.** ' _ **Looks like Chihiro's got some life back.'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **Yeah, if we keep helping each other out like this….we're bound to get out of this place sooner or later!'**_

"There's that limitless optimism." Kyoko said with a small smile.

"Yep. Even with everything that's happening, Makoto is still as optimistic as ever!" Hina cheered.

' _There's gotta be a breaking point somewhere..._ _'_ Junko thought with an evil smile. She knows that her future self would try hard to break that hope of his.

' _ **But still,'**_ **The scene switched to Makoto entering his room.** ' _ **The main problem is Byakuya and Toko. How can I get to know them better?'**_

"That'll be an uphill fight." Taka mused. "Especially in the current situation we're watching."

"Yeah, but I believe Makoto can win their hearts!" Hina stated in confidence. "If he could do it once, he could do it again!"

"I admit, Makoto is probably one of the few I can stand to have a conversation with." Byakuya admitted. "It's a possibility that he can snap my future self out of it."

Makoto couldn't help but blush at the confidence the others have on him. He really hope he could live up to that confidence.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys like this chapter. Again, sorry for taking longer than usual to update, but I can't promise that I'll be back to my usual update. Not with Danganronpa V3 (English dub) now up on youtube. Again, so addicting….**

 **Again, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **Editor: Meanwhile... $79.99 CAD makes me very very sad... and its very despairing... D:**


	29. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P5

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, no virus. No allergies. No computer problems. No wi-fi problems. Nothing that stopped me from updating in under a week and a half. Yes!**

 **Also, I finished watching Danganronpa V3. And let me say, the ending was….mind-jarring. If any of you have played/watched the entire thing, you know what I'm about talking about. I won't say anything spoiler ish about V3, for those who have yet to play/watch it, but I will say this: In my opinion, it makes Danganronpa 1 look normal.**

 **So, in this chapter, it's all free time events. I hope you guys enjoy.**

 **P.S. Don't interpret that the smirk on Spirit's face when they talked about Hiro's fortune as he's gonna show them the alternate ending. It could just mean that he knows something the cast don't, and is amused. That said, I might reveal to them the alternate ending, though not actually show it to them on screen.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Editor: You guys all seem to be pretty interested with Yasuhiro getting his ass kicked o_o leave him alone! Weedman has rights too! (Actually, I too, am looking forward to that specific FTE! :D) Also, this would've been up yesterday but one of my assignment requirements got AFTER I submitted it so I had to look it over again. Anyways, this update should still be one of the faster ones given our unlucky streak so far :P**

 **Q: Will you be planning to make a Class 78 watches "The Luckster and his Luck" fic?  
L: I personally have not read this fic, but as far as I know, it's a collection of one-shots that detail how Makoto hooks up with each girl and then takes things to the next level? Anyways, I don't know if Spirit wants to do this, but I personally refrain from writing sexual stuff. Sorry!  
S: Yeah, same here. I don't plan on ever writing smut, and doing a reading on a smut fic would be really uncomfortable. Also, I'm willing to bet that a majority of the Danganronpa cast would be very uncomfortable with reading something like that, especially the luckster himself.**

 **Q:Will you reveal the actual reason Leon broke into the Washroom as stated in the Manga?  
L: To my knowledge, the mangas for the most part are non-canon, and even then, there are two adaptations of the manga, one for the game, and one for the anime. I personally have not read the mangas so I can't comment more on this than I would have liked.  
S: Like Lucky said, the games are non-canon, so the reason for Leon breaking into the bathroom will continue being ambiguous on this fic. I plan on sticking with the canon stuff, maybe with the occasional mentioning of the non-canon moments.**

Chapter 28: Watching Ch 2: Boy's LIfe of Despair Part 5

 **The scene changed to Makoto walking in the hallway.** ' _ **I'll check on Toko. See if she's alright, and maybe talk to her.'**_ **Makoto decided.**

 **After a moment from pressing Toko's doorbell, she hesitantly came out from her room. "W-What do you want?" Toko asked him.**

" **Well, I just wanted to check up on you, that's all." Makoto told her.**

 **The writer looked at him with confusion and suspicion. "W-Why would you want to check up on me?"**

"Welp, it's not like she's any better now." Leon commented.

"S-Shut up!"

" **Well, I mean, you know," Makoto said, trying to come up with the right words. "We're trapped together, right? If we're gonna be friends, it's good to make sure we're alright."**

" **Huh?" His words seemed to startled Toko. "What'd you s-say?"**

 **Makoto looked at her in confusion. "U-Um…."**

" **After the p-part about being trapped," Toko clarified. "We're gonna be wh-what?"**

" **Uh….friends?" Makoto repeated, wondering what's wrong. That brought a snicker out of Toko.**

" **Whaddya mean, friends?! You think I'm stupid?" Toko questioned him aggressively. "You're trying to trick me! I've already been h-hurt once before….I'm not gonna l-let it happen again….!"**

"Damn. You really are paranoid." Mondo stated. "Who the hell stabbed you in the back and rubbed salt deep in the wound?"

"L-Like I would tell you!" Toko shot back.

' _ **Youve been hurt? What happened….?'**_ **Makoto thought in concern.**

" **Come on, y-you don't really care about m-me," Toko continued. "You don't want to kn-know about me! I know that….!"**

" **N-No, that's not true….!" Makoto protested.**

 **Toko scoffed. "Fine. Then t-tell me…."**

" **Tell you what?"**

" **You know why they c-call me the Ultimate Writing Prodigy, right?" She asked him.**

 **Makoto nodded. "Yeah, sure. You've won all kinds of literature prizes and stuff."**

" **Then tell me wh-what I'm good at," Toko demanded. "Tell m-me what my genre specialty is! If you r-really wanna convince me you give a crap, you sh-should at least know that….!"**

"I'm guessing the two of you had this conversation before?" Taka inquired. "If so, what would've happened if he didn't knew the answer?"

"I w-wouldn't be surprise and scoff at h-him." Toko answered. "M-Maybe tell him to go away."

"Glad I did know." Makoto said with a nervous chuckle.

 **Makoto answered with only a second to think about it. "It's romance, of course."**

" **Oh….you a-actually knew?" Toko asked in shock.**

" **Your biggest success was 'So Lingers the Ocean', right?" Makoto continued. "Everyone says it's your masterpiece. The book was such a hit that fishermen shot to the top of all 'Hottest Men' polls….right?"**

" **H-How did you know all that….?" She asked, looking like she's about to panic. "There's no way you c-care about me….!"**

" **I'm telling you, I do!" Makoto insisted. "I mean, we're friends, aren't we?"**

Toko shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "S-So, straightforward."

"That honest nature of is amusing sometimes." Celeste remarked with a giggle. A few nodded in agreement while Makoto flushed a little once again.

 **That caused Toko to recoil in shock. "I'm blind! Your s-straightforward nature blinded me!" With a scream of a banshee, she ran back into her room and slammed the door.**

 **All the while, Makoto looked on in confusion. "I'm not really sure….does she hate me now?" He sighed to himself. "So much for checking if she's alright."**

"Did that happened when you first spoke with Toko?" Sayaka asked Makoto curiously.

The luckster nodded. "The difference was that I tried to small talk with her, and that we were in library. I has checking the books there, and saw Toko reading alone."

"Hmph. And I-I was enjoying being a-alone, thank you." Toko grumbled. But inwardly, she's glad Makoto made the effort to talk to her. It helped open up that inferior shell she made for herself, if only a little.

 **Makoto was about to leave, when heard somebody nearby. "No…."**

" **Huh?" Curious, he turned around to see Chihiro standing around , a cute frown on her face.**

" **No….!"**

" **What's wrong, Chihiro?" Makoto asked, walking towards her.**

" **Ahh, it's hurt…." Chihiro responded, looking as if she's struggling a little.**

"Huh? What's hurts, Chihiro?" Hina asked, automatically concern.

"Did something happen to you?" Sayaka asked, equally concern. Some of the others also looked immediately concern for the programmer.

Chihiro waved her hands rapidly from the concern being received at her. "No, no, it's okay. If i remember correctly, it's nothing major."

" **Huh?" Immediately, Makoto grew concern. "Did you get hurt, Chihiro?"**

" **Oh, well….not really." Chihiro answered. "I got bit by a mosquito last night."**

That settled the group down. "Oh, good. Just a mosquito bite." Sayaka said in relief.

"And how much do you want to bet Chihiro let it bite her?" Leon remarked in amusement.

"Hey!" Chihiro pouted.

" **A mosquito….?" Makoto repeated. "Oh, I figured something serious had happened, since you were saying how it hurt."**

" **Oh, did I give you the wrong impression?" She asked. A guilty look entered her face. "S-Sorry!"**

" **You don't have to apologize. It was my own fault." Makoto reassured her. "But you said it hurts? Did it really bite you that hard?"**

" **Yeah, see? Look." Chihiro held out her arm, which revealed a big red bump on her pale skin. Makoto's eyes widen in alarm at this.**

" **Holy cow!"**

"Yep. She definitely let that mosquito get a good bite out of her." Junko stated. "Just like last time."

"No argument here." Leon agreed.

"How dare such a vile creature attack the innocent!" Hifumi shot out.

" **It's way past itchy now. It really hurts….!" Chihiro whined a little.**

" **But why's it so big?" Makoto inquired. "Did it bite you while you were sleeping or something?"**

" **Oh, no. I was awake." Chihiro informed him.**

" **But you didn't notice?"**

" **No, I noticed. But…."**

" **But what?" The luckster asked.**

" **Well, I felt it bite me, and I looked down at it." Chihiro explained. "But I didn't do anything. I just sat there and watched it suck my blood…."**

 **That baffled Makoto. "You just watched? Why didn't you smack it?"**

" **Cuz….that would've killed, right?" Chihiro answered.**

Sakura sighed. "You are far too kind Chihiro. Even more so than Makoto and Hina."

"Heck, you still haven't changed that much now." Mondo added. Chihiro pouted a little more.

"Well, bugs are living things too. I don't want to kill them."

" **Well yeah, but…."**

 **Chihiro continued. "It must have been really hungry to suck that much blood. If it was that hungry, it would've been really sad not to let it have anything."**

" **But….it's just a mosquito." Was all Makoto could say.**

" **Mosquitos are living things too, though." Chihiro argued softly. "It might have its own mosquito family…."**

' _It will be hard to get her into killing.'_ Junko remarked with a mental sigh. ' _Well, there's one thing that could get her into a killing spree…..or rather, him, into a killing spree.'_ Yeah, she knows that Chihiro is a boy. It didn't take her so long to figure it out, thanks to her Ultimate Analyst ability.

She wonder what would happen if Chihiro's got threaten to have that secret be revealed…..oh, the thought of that despair excites her so much!

" **S-Sorry. I know that's dumb…."**

" **No, really, you don't have to apologize." Makoto reassured her once again. "But don't go scratching it, okay? That'll just make things worse."**

" **But what if it gets so itchy I can't take it?" Chihiro whined once again.**

 **Makoto thought about it for a moment. "Well….in that case, just take the tip of your fingernail and push it into the bump. That'll help."**

 **Chihiro's eyes widen slightly at that. "Wow, I had no idea….!" A smile lit up her face. "You're so smart, Makoto!"**

Sayaka couldn't help but let out a tiny squeal at the smile. "That smile of yours is so very cute, Chihiro!"

"Like a tiny, little animal!" Hina agreed readily. "I just want to hug and cuddle if you smile like that!"

The programmer's adorable nature caused everyone else to lighten up in their own unique ways.

' _ **That smile of hers. It's like a cute, tiny little animal.'**_ **Makoto couldn't help but think.** ' _ **Does she do that on purpose? If so, that's a whole other level of scary.'**_

"Indeed, that is scary." Hifumi agreed. "She could take advantage of any guy, and even girls, and use them however she like."

"I-I wouldn't do that!" Chihiro denied. "It's not nice to use people like that!"

 **The two petite Ultimates began walking together. "But anyway, don't you think it's kinda strange?"**

" **Huh? What is?" Makoto asked curiously.**

" **Well this school is completely sealed off, right?" Chihiro rhetorically asked. "So how'd a mosquito get in?"**

"Yeah, Miss Fujisaki have a good point." Hifumi agreed. "How did a mosquito got into the school?"

"It probably came from the Greenhouse." Kyoko answered easily. "Several bugs have gone their before."

" **Maybe there's somewhere here in the school where bugs can live and grow. Some kind of….nature-y spot."**

' _ **A "nature-y" place in the school….? Well, I can't say for sure that there's not.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.**

 **Another idea popped into Chihiro's mind. "Or, or, or! Maybe there's a secret passage somewhere that leads out of the school!" Chihiro suggested excitingly.**

' _ **A secret passage….'**_ **Makoto shook out of the thought. "Well, even if there's not, I'm sure we'll get out of here somehow. As long as we all work together, I'm sure we'll be out of here in no time!"**

" **You're right! Working together is super important." Chihiro agreed, a smile on her face. But then, smile slowly went down and she let a heavy sigh.**

"That didn't sound good.." Mondo noticed.

 **That got Makoto's attention. "What's wrong? That seemed like a pretty heavy sigh…."**

" **Oh, sorry…." Chihiro apologized. "It's just, everyone else is working so hard to get us out of here, but I'm no help at all."**

"That's what you're thinking about, Chihiro?" Sayaka shook her head. "You shouldn't feel guilty or sad about that. It's not like there's much to help with."

"And besides, you did more than Celeste, Toko, and Hifumi does." Leon pointed out. "When we first started looking around, the first three just stand around at the gym when they first started searching around the school."

Chihiro looked down. But can she do more for the group?

" **Th-That's not true at all!" Makoto protested.**

" **It's okay, you don't have to try and make me feel better." Chihiro said, looking down sadly. "I know it's the truth. I'm completely useless without a computer in front of me. At least if I were a little stronger or something, then I'd be able to help somehow…."**

" **Listen, you'll get your chance." Makoto insisted. "I'm sure there'll be a time when your skills come in handy. So you don't have to worry much, okay?"**

Chihiro couldn't help but look up at this. Is that really true? Could her skills….come in handy? A smile entered her lips at the thought. She certainly hopes that's true.

 **Chihiro looked up at this. "My skills might….come in handy?" A smile entered Chihiro's lips. "If I get a chance, I'm gonna work super hard to chip in! When it comes to computers, you can count on me!"**

' _ **You're right about that.'**_ **Makoto silently agreed on.** ' _ **No matter what anyone might say, you're still the Ultimate Programmer!'**_

"There's no doubt about that." Hina chirped. "I would be a mess when it comes to that programming stuff."

"If there's anyone capable of handling computers, it's Chihiro." Sakura agreed with a smile.

Mondo grinned at Chihiro. "Yeah, no one can match our little programmer. Hell, if Monokuma is connected to a computer, I would worry!"

Chihiro looked at everyone in slight amazement in their confidence in her. Makoto smiled at her. "I'm sure I'm right about this. You'll definitely get your chance at computers!"

The smile on Chihiro's face got bigger. "I hope that times come! I know I will work extremely hard on it!"

 **Curiosity then entered his face. "Speaking of which, how did you get into programming?"**

" **Huh….?" Chihiro broke out of her excitement at the question.**

" **Well, I mean….I always assumed most programmers were guys, so…." Makoto trailed off.**

 **Chihiro was silent for a moment. "Is it really that weird….?" Chihiro asked hesitantly.**

" **N-No, nothing like that!" Makoto reassured quickly. "I was just curious on what got you interested in it. I mean, why programming of all things?"**

"That is a valid question." Byakuya agreed. "There has to be a reason you're interested in it." Some of the others looked curious as well.

"Well, I think I'll be explaining that in a second." Chihiro said.

" **Why….?" Chihiro mused on that. "I mean, there isn't much of a reason. I've always been kind of weak, ya know. I was never able to run around with my friends or anything. We had a computer at home, so I'd kill time poking around with it. And I found out I really liked it!"**

" **My dad was a software engineer, and he had a bunch of programs on there that'd he built." She continued explaining. "I found one of them and started playing around with it, adding stuff here and there, and that was how I ended up making my very first program."**

" **Interesting….what kind of program was it?" Makoto asked her.**

" **A kind of database software." Chihiro answered.**

" **Database software…."**

" **A user could communicate with it, and it would take that information and find what they were looking for." Chihiro explained. "It was a way of interacting with the computer without having to physically type things out."**

 **It took Makoto a minute before he figured it out. "You used voice recognition, is that it?"**

" **Yep, exactly!" Chihiro confirmed happily. "You could talk to it, and it could talk back. It was a lot of fun!"**

"It's amazing that Chihiro was able to create something like that as a child." Taka remarked in awe. "It certainly showed that she earned her Ultimate title."

"Our little computer nerd has both looks and brains!" Junko chirped. ' _Both alive and dead!'_ She mentally added.

Chihiro flushed at this, and shifted uncomfortably.

" **It didn't even really sound like me! I would get totally absorbed in talking to it….**

' _ **It's like a kid recording themselves and playing it back again….'**_ **Makoto couldn't help but think in amusement.**

"Yeah, it sure does!" Hina giggled.

"It just makes me want to hug and never let her go!" Sayaka declared, getting a chuckle from Makoto. His blue haired friend is like this whenever Chihiro does something she deems 'cute'.

" **The key part of the program was getting it into recognize what I was saying." Chihiro explained. "The recognition accuracy was the most important thing. Japanese is kinda hard, so it was pretty challenging."**

" **But you were able to do it eventually?"**

" **Yup!" Chihiro confirmed. "And right around then, my dad found out I'd messed with his software without permission. I thought I was gonna get in so much trouble, but all he said was how impressed he was! The software was able to take natural speech and pull out key search terms to retrieve information. My dad said it worked so well, it was gonna change the face of software interaction all over the world!"**

"I have to admit, that's true." Byakuya admitted. "I've more than a few businesses that uses your programming, including the Togami Corporation."

"R-Really?" Chihiro asked in surprise.

Byakuya nodded. "Using voice recognition is fairly convenient for several workers." Chihiro smiled widely at this.

" **The development costs are still pretty expensive, so it hasn't spread out that much yet, but…." She shook her head out of the thought. "Anyway, I've been addicted to programming ever since. I can't tell you how happy it made me to be able to make others happy!"**

 **Makoto couldn't help but smile at Chihiro's excitement.** ' _ **It's obvious how much you love computers. You seem to just….light up when you start talking about them.'**_

"Yeah." Leon agreed with his friend. "There isn't a time where Chihiro doesn't light up like a christmas tree when talking about computers."

Several nods of agreement were around while Chihiro flushed a little.

" **Ah!" Chihiro's eyes widen when she realized how much she talked. "Sorry, I spent all this time just talking about myself….."**

" **No, I had a lot of fun learning more about you!" Makoto reassured.**

 **Chihiro looked surprise by that. "Huh? Really….?"**

" **Yup!" Makoto confirmed. "I hope you'll tell me even more next time."**

" **O-Okay!" A smile once again formed on Chihiro's face. "Let's hang out again sometime! It's a promise, okay?" Makoto nodded in agreement.**

"The two of you get along so well!" Sayaka said happily. She wasn't really jealous of Chihiro. Her intuition tells her that the programmer isn't interested in her favorite lucky student and vice versa. "Like brother and sister."

"It's really cute!" Hina chirped.

Makoto flushed and laughed a little. "Yeah, I guess we really do."

"It is fun talking with Makoto." Chihiro said with a beaming smile.

 **The next scene showed Makoto walking towards the library.** ' _ **Let's see if I get to know Byakuya better.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.**

"Are you actually going towards Byakuya?" Leon asked incredulously. He shook his head. "You are determined to make friends with everyone."

"More like stubborn." Byakuya sighed.

"You're walking into a trap!" Hifumi cried.

Makoto could only chuckle sheepishly at this.

 **Before he could get near the door, someone walked out. That someone was Byakuya. "Oh, Byakuya!" Makoto exclaimed in surprise. "You finished reading?"**

 **Byakuya nodded. "For today." He narrowed his eyes at Makoto. "I have a question for you."**

" **Huh? You do?" Makoto asked in surprise.**

" **Something's been bothering me for a while now, and I can't take it anymore." Byakuya continued. "So to answer my question, I need you to explain to me what exactly your 'Ultimate Lucky Student' title means."**

"Really?" Hina questioned. "You've been wondering what his title means? That's what been bothering you?"

"Of course not." Byakuya said with an eye roll. "The explanation will give me the answer to my question, you simpleton. It's not too hard to understand that."

"At the same time, given your intellect, one would think you would have easily deduced what his title means as well." Kyoko replied, to which Byakuya ignored.

Makoto, meanwhile, groaned, knowing the results of this conversation.

" **Oh, well…." Makoto thought about his title for a moment. "I don't totally get it myself, but what I do know is that I was picked at random from a pool of normal students."**

" **So you just got into Hope's Peak by blind luck." Byakuya summarized. He nodded to himself. "Well, that answers my question."**

" **What was the question….?"**

" **How a commoner like you, with absolutely no unique talents or abilities, could get into this school." Byakuya remarked. He paused for a moment. "Oh, I forgot to mention boring. How a boring, untalented, utterly genetic commoner got in…."**

' _ **Boring? Generic….?'**_

"Seriously, Byakuya? Did you have to say it like that?" Hina remarked with a small scowl. "And Makoto isn't boring!"

"Jeez, he's not even talking about me and I can feel the sting..." Hiro added.

"This is Byakuya we're talking about." Celeste retorted. "The Togami heir doesn't hold back from stating his opinion."

 **The words stung the luckster a little. "D-Did you really have to list all that off?"**

" **But it's the truth." Byakuya stated.**

" **Maybe compared to you, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny and all…." Makoto insisted. "But even I-!"**

 **But the heir wasn't hearing none of it. "You seem to think title it's merely an issue. But make no mistake, my lineage, intelligence, figure, athletic ability-they are all ultimate. Which is to say, I am the Ultimate Perfection. Feel free to begin calling me that, in fact."**

"O-Oh, master." Toko sighed, a bit of drool coming out of her. "Always s-so cool."

The group just ignored Toko. "Damn, I forgot how arrogant the old Byakuya is." Leon deadpanned. "Like seriously, Ultimate Perfection?"

"More like the Ultimate Ego." Junko giggled.

"I'm very glad he mellowed down, somewhat." Kyoko sighed. "Otherwise, he would've been unbearable to be around." The heir decided to ignore his classmates' comments on him.

' _ **He's really taking this to the extreme….'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.**

" **You, who have nothing. I, who have everything." Byakuya continued arrogantly. "We are living proof that all men are not created equal. You have my pity, Makoto. Life can be very cruel indeed." Makoto could only be silent through the derogatory speech.**

Taka couldn't help but scowl at this. Geniuses like Byakuya has no respect for those below them, or those who work hard in their life. It's one of the reasons why he strongly dislike geniuses.

Mukuro's fingers clutched her arm rest a little tighter as she listened to Byakuya speak. Usually, she would have felt indifferent to anyone that wasn't Junko or Makoto speaking. ' _This is unexpectedly frustrating... I wonder if everyone else feels the same way...'_

"Okay, the more that dude speak, the more I want to punch his fucking lights out." Mondo mumbled/growled. Some nodded in agreement to this.

" **And because I pity you so much, perhaps someday I'll allow you to hear my tale of glory." Byakuya declared. He then walked away from the luckster. "Consider it a blessing, a gift from me to you, to allow you to bask in my glory."**

"Yeah, I would return that gift to the cashier. REFUND PLEASE!" Junko said.

"Or, chuck it out the window." Leon offered.

"Or, dump it into the incinerator." Sayaka added in.

Byakuya merely scoffed at them.

 **As Byakuya left, Makoto just stood there, processing everything he heard. "I learned one thing about Byakuya today," Makoto said to himself. "Anytime I talk to him, I need to be prepared for extreme psychological trauma."**

"It's a wonder you're still sane, considering how many times you talked to him." Mondo whistled.

Makoto chuckled sheepishly. "What can I say? I can take verbal punishment better than physical punishment."

"No doubt there." Leon snorted.

 **As he was about to go in the library, an angry voice entered into the hallway. "Ahh, dammit!"**

 **A bit startled, he turned to the direction of the voice to see Mondo, pacing a little and clearly looking angry. "Mondo?" The luckster got closer to the biker.**

" **Bastard! Dammit bastard son of a bitch!"**

"Whoa!" Hina yelped in surprise. "You are really mad!"

"What's the matter bro?" Taka asked in concern.

The biker sighed. "I think I entered my limit being trapped in that fucking building."

 **And immediately stepped back at the string of curses. "What's wrong? Why are so mad?"**

" **Why am I mad?" Mondo repeated angrily. "Why am I mad?! Can't you SEE why I'm mad?! I need to get outta here! I need to get out and run wild!"**

"Yep. I'm fucking right."

"You exercise fanatics are very jumpy when trapped in an isolated building." Celeste noted.

" **I'm so pissed off right now! Shit!"**

" **I-I know how you feel, but….just don't do anything crazy, okay?" Makoto spoke hesitantly.**

 **Mondo then suddenly made a suggestion. "Hey, how about we have a one-on-one?!"**

" **One-on-one?!"**

" **Relax. It's just a bare knuckle brawl. No weapons." The biker stated. "No weapons. Whaddya say?!"**

"Are you crazy?!" Hina exclaimed. "Makoto wasn't even able to handle one hit from you!"

"And now you want to fight him?!" Sayaka questioned in disbelief and slight anger.

Mondo slightly looked away at the girls. "Well, I have to get that pent up energy out somehow."

"Then find someone else to spar with." Mukuro said curtly, sending the biker a glare.

" **H-Hold on!" Makoto protested, waving his hands. "Friends can't fight each other!"**

" **But that's the only way I can burn off all this energy!"**

" **But I mean….I've never even been in a fight before," Makoto argued. An idea then pop in his head. "Oh, I know! Why don't you go ask Sakura?!"**

 **The suggestion surprised Mondo out of his anger. "What….?"**

" **I mean, you can spar with her, right?" Makoto continued. "You don't have to actually fight, but just….train."**

"One problem though," Leon remarked. "Mondo doesn't hit girls."

"Even girls capable of defending themselves, such as Mukuro and Sakura." Taka agreed.

" **D-Don't be a fuckin' idiot! I can't hit a girl….!" Mondo protested. "And she's a girl, right? I'd ruin my honor….my mom would kill me!"**

"Yeah….are you sure it's just that?" Hina asked innocently. "Could it be because your scared of her?" Mondo stiffened at that.

"N-No, I'm not!"

 **Makoto merely stayed silent at this, an incredulous silence. "I'm serious!" Mondo insisted loudly. "I can't hit girls! It's not like I'm scared of her or anything! Ya bastard!"**

"Oh, you so are!" Hina giggled. Mondo flushed.

"I'm telling you, I'm not!"

Hina merely giggled more, with Sayaka, Celeste, and Junko joining her. Kyoko, Byakuya and Sakura have smirked of amusement, especially Sakura, while Leon and Hiro laughed. Makoto and Chihiro had the decency to hold back their laughter.

Mondo flushed even more, either in embarrassment, anger, or both. "Fuck all of you!"

" **Okay, okay, you don't have to shout…." Makoto placated.**

 **But Mondo continued shouting. "Shouting's in my blood, asshole! When I get stressed out, I yell! Shit!"**

' _ **Sounds like he must be really stressed out….'**_

"Yeah, no kidding." Hina said, finally controlling her giggling. "And he must be stressed out a lot, since he yells a lot."

" **It's just a nervous habit!" Mondo shouted. "What's the big deal?! Other than the fact that it makes it hard to ask girls out! I get all nervous, and I start yelling! So I always get rejected! And thanks to that, I'm on a ten-game losing streak right now! It really sucks!"**

Leon's mouth hung open in disbelief at everything he heard, with some of the others being incredulous as well. "Seriously?" Leon slowly turned to Mondo. "You _yell_ at them?"

Mondo looked away from the baseball player. "Y-Yeah! So what?!"

"...I'm gonna coach you thoroughly on the art of dating." Leon told him seriously.

' _Please don't.'_ Sayaka thought.

' _ **Ten games….?'**_ **Makoto thought incredulously.** ' _ **That's….pretty bad.'**_

"A very big understatement." Celeste giggled. "Someone really do need to control their temper. And their volume."

"Fuck off, you gothic addict." Mondo mumbled.

"But seeing this side of him, is actually….pretty cute." Sayaka said, giggling. That caused Mondo to snap his head towards Sayaka in disbelief.

"C-Cute?!"

"Yeah! It's very cute!" Hina agreed, a wide grin on her face. Kyoko, Junko, and Celeste also agreed to this, with smirks or grins of their own. And that quickly earned laughter from Leon, Hiro, and Hifumi.

"S-Stop laughing, you jackasses!" Mondo growled, trying to look menacing. But his flustered state only got them laughing harder. "Seriously, I'm not cute!"

Chihiro couldn't help but giggled this time, covering her mouth, while Taka gave his friend a sympathetic smile.

 **The steam suddenly got out of him, and ended looking depress. "Shit! And I'd forgotten about that, too! Thanks for reminding me, jackass! How're you gonna make it up to me, shitstain?!" He let out a depressed growl before slowly walking away. "Now I'm gettin' all depressed. I'm outta here…."**

 **Makoto rubbed his head sheepishly as Mondo trudged away. "I guess I kinda messed that up," He admitted to himself.** ' _ **But I did get to see a side of Mondo I had no idea existed. It was almost….kinda cute.'**_

"The fuck you just say, Naegi?!"

Mukuro almost instantly stood up from her seat had it not been for her sister's hand holding her back.

"Jeez, calm down will ya? He's not gonna hit him." Junko whispered, then she leaned in closer and whispered more quietly. "And even then, let em at it god dammit! You don't have to make everything boring!"

Makoto held and waved his hands in front of him, pale as a sheet. "It wasn't me! Wasn't me!" He was definitely not getting a punch from Mondo.

Mondo growled before sitting down. "You're lucky it isn't!"

' _ **He'd murder if he heard me say that, though….'**_

"Damn right I would." Mondo muttered. And he glared at Leon, Hiro, Hifumi, and Byakuya. "And that goes for you guys too! Any of you call me cute, and your ass is mine!"

"G-Got it!" Hifumi and Hiro squealed in fear while Leon merely snickered a bit more. Byakuya merely scoffed, not afraid of the threat.

Chihiro then decided to speak, in hope changing another subject calms her biker friend down. "Does anyone notice that there's more people Makoto is talking to?"

The change of subject did the trick, and got the group focus on that. "Our little hacker is right." Junko stated. "Makoto has been talking to more people."

"Or at least, the video is showing more conversations." Kyoko slightly corrected.

"But why show many conversations now?" Celeste questioned. They all turned to Spirit.

The host sighed, but answered. "Some foreshadowing, some character development, some of importance."

"You seem to like treating our future like a TV show." Byakuya remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Spirit shrugged. "It helps organize everything. Besides, you guys seem to be enjoying it."

That got several sheepish chuckles. "I have to admit, it's enjoyable seeing these talks." Makoto admitted. "Helps push the back what happened….with Sayaka, Mukuro, and Leon." Several in the group couldn't help but be in agreement to that, especially the victims.

Junko, however, mentally pouted. She really hope this light-hearded crap is over soon. She wants to see who dies next! Want to which one of her classmates' deaths she will cry and despair over! She wants her despair high, dammit!

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next up, some more free-time events, as well as more plot-oriented stuff. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**


	30. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P6

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here, the group is gonna see some more free time events, along with the start of Mondo's and Taka's friendship. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **P.S. What did you think of the ending of V3? Did you liked or hate it? Somewhere in the middle? No spoilers, for the benefit of those who haven't finished the game that reads the review section. Don't forget to review about this chapter either.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Hey guys, I just wanted to let you all know that this chapter should've came out at least 3 days ago but this week was midterm week for me and as I'm editing this, I had just got home and starting my first read through. So if you've been curious why it seemed like a slow update, I simply had other priorities. Sorry! Anyways, here's the questions from last chapter:**

 **Q: Where do you get the Free time events from?  
L: Mostly from the game. It's much more in depth than the anime. You should be able to find multiple playlists of them on Youtube. However, note that it's sometimes, there's a little extra added here and there or some really small things may be retold slightly differently.  
**

 **Q: Danganronpa Chapter 1 took around 15 parts so will Chapter 2 be roughly the same?  
L: I would hope for it to be, but it's really hard for me to say. Even though there are less and less people to interact with, the interactions go deeper with every chapter. On top of that, both sides (future and present) are still trying to figure out the mysteries behind what happened. I understand if it might be boring for some if it takes a while for the story to progress so please bear with us :)  
S: From the looks of it, probably, depending on how many free time events I can put in each part. Plus the length of the investigation and class trial.**

 **Q: Can you do the FTE where Makoto suggests to Chihiro to train with Mondo?  
L: I'm sure we'll get there eventually.  
S: Most likely in part 9.**

 **Q: Are you using their anime voices or game voices?  
L: I'm not entirely sure how to answer this question, but I think I lean towards the english game voices since when I first played the game, that's what I had my language settings at. However, I have replayed the game in Japanese and think that it's also really well done. (Nothing beats Tanaka's English voice acting though) The anime wasn't that bad either  
S: I prefer hearing the english game voices as well, if that's what you're asking. Like Lucky, I'm not entirely what you mean by that question.**

Chapter 29: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 6

 **The next scene switched to Makoto laying down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling.** ' _ **It's evening now. Time to eat dinner.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **I guess I am feeling a little hungry. Better get to the dining hall before it closes.'**_

 **With that thought in mind, he got up and went out of his rooms. As he walked to the dining hall, he saw Celeste walking around. "Well there, good evening." Celeste greeted.**

" **Celeste….what are you up to?" Makoto asked cautiously.**

Celeste had a small pout. "Do you always suspect me of doing no good?"

"With you Celeste, anyone should be cautious." Makoto stated, to which the gambler giggled in response.

"You learn earlier than most, I suppose."

 **Celeste giggled at his question. "What am I up to? I am simply going for a nice evening stroll." Celeste looked at the direction of the dormitories. "You know, I was thinking about the students who used to live here. I would very much like to know what is going on in, but it seems the upper floor is still locked."**

"Locked?" Taka furrowed his eyebrow. "Well, he never unlocked the second floor to the dorms. I wonder why."

"But the old building is still being used so, I kinda do want to know what happened to everyone else." Sayaka thought.

"Perhaps we can come back to this later when it becomes more relevant." Sakura suggested, to which she earned several nods of agreement.

" **It must be another of Monokuma's little tricks."**

" **Sometimes he gets hung up on the weirdest stuff…." Makoto sighed.**

" **Do you think so?" Celeste rhetorically asked. "It seems that it's merely him displaying his passion….toward the production of this killing game."**

That statement brought a few chills down people's spines. "Yeah, I think I like Makoto suggestion better." Hiro said weakly.

"She has a point, though. It's one of those little things that show his obsession towards this game." Byakuya stated.

 **Makoto felt his spine crawl a little at that. "By the way, Makoto," Celeste said, changing the subject. "I would like to share something with you."**

" **Huh?" Makoto looked at her curiously. "What is it?"**

" **My perfect gambling strategy."**

"Gambling strategy?" Hina turned to Celeste at this information. "There's actually such a thing?"

Celeste nodded. "Of course there is. Several gamblers have their own strategy when gambling." She sighed. "Though I wished my own wouldn't be revealed like this." Well, it doesn't matter all that much. It's not like someone could successfully replicate her strategy.

" **Of course there is." Celeste confirmed, as if it's obvious. "Are you ready? Please pay attention."**

 **With that, she began explaining. "Whatever the game, you must have a mind for strategy. This will allow you to increase your odds of winning. However, the exciting part about gambling is that there is a power which can overwhelm any strategy."**

"Seriously?" Leon questioned, mouth agape. "So no matter what plans you have, there's something that can crush that plan to dust?"

"Indeed, there is." Celeste answered. "And my future self will tell you what it is."

" **There is….?"**

 **Celeste nodded. "That power is….luck."**

" **Luck….?"**

" **There are only two types of luck - good and bad luck. There is no in-between." Celeste began lecturing. "And that luck is built into every human at the moment of conception. Like a computer program. Some call it fate. The bottom line is, luck is life."**

"So you're saying….that your 'gambling strategy' is relying on luck alone?" Byakuya questioned. He shook his head. "How preposterous."

"You shouldn't underestimate the power of luck, Byakuya." Celeste stated. "A little good or bad luck can effect immediate or long term outcomes."

"Well, it does seem that Makoto's luck is a little... skewed..." Mukuro thought out loud.

"No doubt about that." Makoto muttered to himself.

" **Do you see what I'm saying?"**

" **You mean….that's your 'perfect strategy'?" Makoto questioned in slight disbelief.**

" **Correct." Celeste confirmed, her face not showing any indication that she was kidding. "You see, I was programmed to have good luck when it comes to gambling. This is why I have never lost."**

" **So that's all there is to it….?" Makoto inquired.**

" **You are the Ultimate Lucky Student, yes?" Celeste asked rhetorically. "Does this perhaps exceed my own luck? One day, I hope to put that to the test."**

"Did you?" Sakura asked.

Celeste shook her head. "No. We've never really had a time to put own individual luck to the test."

"Besides, I have more bad luck than good luck." Makoto said sheepishly. "Celeste would probably wipe the floor with me." As he said that however, he can't help but think if what Celeste said had meant another thing.

" **Well then, have a good night." With that, Celeste walked away.**

 **After watching her walk away, Makoto continued his way to the dining hall.** ' _ **It's probably not a good idea for me to gamble anyway.'**_ **Makoto sighed.** ' _ **My life has been more bad luck than good luck lately.'**_

"Not to mention you would have a horrible poker face." Junko chimed in. There were several nods of agreement to that while the luckster pouted.

" **That thought was tested a few minutes later." Narrator Makoto spoke up as Makoto walked to the dining hall. "I just wanted to get something to eat."**

 **The narrator continued as Makoto walked inside. "But the minute I went inside, I got roped into this."**

"Oh no," Sayaka groaned a little. "What are you going to be wrapped up into this time?"

Makoto could only chuckle sheepishly to this. It's no secret that he gets into the most bizarre of situations.

 **Hey, Makoto! Perfect timing!" Taka called out. The moral compass stood opposite of Mondo, both refusing to back down from one another.**

" **Huh? What's going on?" Makoto asked in confusion.**

" **I have a favor to ask!" Mondo stated to him.**

' _ **A favor….?'**_ **Makoto thought cautiously.** ' _ **I have a bad feeling about this….'**_

Makoto suddenly realized what's going to happen. "Um, I think we're gonna see them have that competition again."

"You mean the endurance competition you've told us about?" Hina asked him. Mondo and Taka brightened at this.

"So we're gonna see the birth of me and bro's friendship?" Taka grinned widely to this. "Excellent! I would love to have our classmates to witness the bond we made!"

"Damn straight, bro! It'll be nice to relive those moments!" Mondo agreed.

" **C'mon, Makoto. You gotta be our witness!" Mondo told him.**

" **Witness to what….?"**

 **Mondo glared daggers at Taka. "This guy's been talkin' shit about me since day one." Mondo stated in anger. "Callin' me a coward and shit like that…."**

" **You are a coward!" Taka retorted, glaring right back at Mondo. "That's why you turn to violence to solve your problems! That's why you can't do what society asks of you, why you walk around dressed like that!"**

" **...The fuck you say?" Mondo looked down, gripping his fist. "You dunno shit."**

 **Taka continued. "You already lost to yourself, but you're such a coward you don't even realize it!"**

"How the hell did it got from being at each other's neck, to buddy-buddy every day?" Leon asked, trying to wrap his head around that.

"It is quite hard to imagine how they changed from that-" Celeste said, nodding towards the screen before turning towards the mentioned duo. "- to this."

"I agree! That's a sudden change of character if there's ever was one!" Hifumi agreed.

" **So what, you sayin' you're not a coward?" Mondo responded back. "You think you're tougher than me?"**

" **I know I am!" Taka stated in confidence.**

" **Okay, then let's throw down." Mondo declared, cracking his knuckles. "Prove you got what I don't got!"**

" **I accept your challenge!" Was Taka's response.**

"Woah, are they actually gonna fight?!" Hiro exclaimed nervously. "I thought it was gonna be that endurance competition thingy!"

"It is." Makoto reassured. "They just made it sound like they were gonna physically fight."

 **The two then turned to Makoto. "So that's what's happenin', Makoto." Mondo stated. "You gotta be our witness!"**

" **You're gonna….throw down?" Makoto repeated nervously. "You're not gonna like….start punching each other, are you?"**

" **There's a bathroom on the 1st floor of the dorm, right? With a sauna inside?" Mondo asked them.**

 **Taka nodded in understanding. "I see….a simple endurance contest, is it? We're going to see who can stay in the sauna in the longest, am I right?!"**

" **Goddamn straight!" Mondo confirmed, staring down Taka, who stared right back.**

"Wow. It feels so odd, seeing the two fighting now." Hina stated, wide eyes.

Sakura nodded in agreement. "It's been so long since we've seen Taka and Mondo argue with one another."

"To be real though, they still occasionally do." Leon commented.

"WE DO NOT!"

 **The next scene showed Makoto, Taka, and Mondo at the bath house. "A-Are you guys really gonna go through with this?" Makoto asked hesitantly.**

" **Shit yeah!" Mondo answered.**

" **He'll be done in a matter of minutes, anyway." Taka declared. "People like him are, without exception, all talk!"**

" **Bring! It! On!" Mondo stated back. "Hell, let's make things interesting. Wouldn't wanna win without a challenge, right?"**

" **Interesting….?" Makoto inquired.**

"More like suicidal." Makoto sighed. He still couldn't believe Mondo lasted as long as he did!

" **We're gonna battle with all our clothes on!"**

"Wait, you did what now?!" Hina exclaimed.

"You wanted to go in the sauna with clothes on?!" Leon questioned in shock.

"Do you realize how unnecessary that is?!" Byakuya asked incredulously.

"More like you're both nuts!" Junko stated.

"Did you actually did that?" Sayaka questioned Mondo. In response, the biker looked away from the idol, answering her question. "No way…."

"Sh-Shut up! I wanted to prove something, okay?!"

"More like have a death wish." Leon deadpanned. "Anyone with half a brain knows that suicidal."

 **Taka recoiled in shock at the suggestion. "Th-That's idiotic! Suicidal!"**

"See, even Taka saw how illogical it is." Byakuya pointed out.

Taka chuckled sheepishly. "I'm sorry bro, but your decision wasn't the smartest one to make."

"Yeah, yeah." Mondo sighed.

" **What, you afraid?" Mondo taunted.**

 **Taka gritted his teeth. "Y-You're going to regret this!"**

" **Shut up and let's do this!" Mondo stated.**

 **The scene switched to Taka and Mondo in the sauna, sweating up a storm. Taka, with only a towel on, while Mondo stilled had all his clothes on.**

"Holy shit, he's actually doing it…." Leon whispered in absolute disbelief.

"Told you you would have a hard time believing me." Makoto told his friend.

Kyoko shook his head. "Honestly, some of you guys do the most stupidest things."

"Don't act like the females don't have their own idiots." Byakuya retorted.

"Well, on the other hand, they both look quite determined." Sakura commented.

" **H-Hey, Mondo," Taka spoke up, sound exhausted.**

" **What, asshole?" Mondo sounds just as tired.**

" **You can take off your uniform, ya know." Taka pointed out. "Go ahead, I won't judge."**

" **And you can shut the fuck up and mind your own business." Mondo retorted. "I mean, look at you. Your face is all red. What're you, one of those goddamn hot spring monkeys?"**

" **It's just so happens….I was born with a red face….!" Taka attempted as a retort.**

"Seriously? That's the best you could come up with?" Junko deadpanned. "I've heard better comebacks from my socially awkward sister."

Taka looked away with a blush from that comment while Mukuro gave a look towards Junko.

" **You don't have to act all big, man." Mondo told him.**

" **A-Act, you say?" Taka laughed tiredly at this. "I'm still plenty good to go! I'm so good, I could eat a steaming-hot bowl of soup right now!"**

 **All the while, Makoto was outside looking into the sauna with concern. "Are they….okay?"**

"No. Clearly, they are not." Celeste sighed.

" **A few minutes passed…." Narrator Makoto spoke up. "Then a few dozen minutes….then an hour…."**

"You stayed in there for over an hour?!" Leon asked incredulously. "Especially you, Mondo?!" He was wearing his full clothes for crying out loud.

"Mondo and I have excellent endurance!" Taka stated proudly. "Especially my bro."

"M-More like excellent s-stubbornness." Toko muttered.

" **D-Don't you think….it's about time….you gave up?" Taka asked tiredly.**

" **What about you?" Mondo countered, sounding just as tired. "You can hardly talk….dumbass."**

" **Say wh-whatever you want….I'm still totally….good to go! In fact, I'm starting to feel….kinda cold!"**

" **That's….prolly not good…."**

"Yeah, that doesn't sound good." Hina said, a little bit worried.

"I'm sure it's not anything to concerning." Celeste stated. "After all, the two of them were well the next morning."

 **Makoto looked very concerned. "H-Hey, uh….guys?" He hesitantly called out. "I know you both wanna prove how big and badasses you are, but….don't you think you've done enough?"**

 **Here was his response. "SHUT UP!"**

 **Makoto took a step back at that.** ' _ **Gah,'**_ **He mentally groaned.** ' _ **I just can't win.'**_

"You boys and your manly pride." Sayaka huffed. "It's always getting you hurt."

"Though it's mainly Leon, Mondo, and Taka." Hina sighed. Said guys looked away sheepishly at this.

 **The bell then rung, and the nighttime announcement played. Once it was done, Makoto looked at the door to the sauna. "...Hey, did you hear that?" Makoto asked them. "It's nighttime. How about we call it a tie?"**

 **The two, however, disagreed. "In a true competition….there's no such thing as a tie!" Taka said tiredly. "You win, or you lose. That's….the only thing that matters!"**

" **Listen to you….you son of a bitch….!" Mondo stated. "Then bring it on….! I'll….I'll push you right up to the gates of hell!"**

"Idiots," Byakuya muttered under his breath.

"Are they seriously going to risk dying to win?!" Hina exclaimed. "I mean, if one of them passed out now, Monokuma would kill them!"

"He would even count passing out as sleeping?" Junko asked.

Sakura shook her head. "Monokuma is an enigma, so it's hard to predict what he's thinking. Still, I wouldn't risk something like that."

' _ **The gates of hell?!'**_ **Makoto thought in alarm.** ' _ **That's not a good place to push someone!'**_ **He spoke up once again. "Th-This isn't good, guys…."**

" **Yeah, you hear him?" Mondo told Taka. "Better crawl on back….to your room….!" He then spoke to Makoto. "I'll let you know how it went….in the morning! Then you can start spreading my….my legend….!"**

" **Come tomorrow morning….you'll fall down in front of me….down on your knees." Taka countered. "I'll show you where to do it….!"**

" **Big talk from someone….who face is about to explode….!"**

" **Right back a-at ya!"**

"Is this really how you guys bond?" Sakura asked, rather perplexed about the topic.

"Indeed, I have seen very few others who would bond like this." Mukuro added.

"Not all guys," Makoto protested slightly. "But yeah, some do bond like this."

"There's a bunch of dudes in my baseball team that form friendships from competitions like this." Leon informed them. "Though I think it's pretty uncool, myself."

 **Makoto could only stare at the entrance of the sauna before finally deciding to get to bed. "Okay, well….g'night then." With that, he left.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto entering his room with a sigh.** ' _ **I really hope those two don't overdo it….'**_ **He thought.** ' _ **But I'm sure….to the death?'**_ **He shook his head.** ' _ **No, surely they wouldn't go that far.'**_ **Still concerned about the two, Makoto went to bed.**

"I'm glad you guys didn't get heat stroke or something." Makoto sighed.

"Of course not! Bro and I are far more endurable than you think!" Taka stated passionately.

"More like you two meat-heads are two stubborn to quit." Junko muttered loudly with an eye roll.

 **The next morning, Makoto got up as usual. "Morning, huh….?" He got himelf out of bed. "I hope Mondo and Taka survived…."**

" **Worried about them, I went to the dining hall faster than usual." Narrator Makoto spoke up as the TV showed Makoto walking and going into the dining hall. "And when I entered…."**

 **The camera showed Taka and Mondo sitting at one of the tables. Mondo laughed loudly. "What are you talkin' about, bro?"**

 **Taka laughed just as loudly. "What are YOU talkin' about, bro?!"**

" **What….the….?" Makoto stood there, stunned at what's transpiring.**

"You have no idea what kind of shock that gave me." Makoto groaned a little.

"Actually, I think we're getting an idea, now." Leon admitted.

Hifumi nodded. "That's way too quick of a character change."

" **Hey, Makoto!" Mondo greeted.**

" **Thank you for acting as our witness yesterday!" Taka said gratefully.**

" **Huh?" Makoto blinked, his mind processing what he's seeing. "Are they….friends now?"**

" **They've been like this all morning." Hina explained with a sigh. "They were all buddy-buddy as soon as they walked in. It feels gross."**

"It still does now." Hina grumbled.

Taka and Mondo shook their head. "You will never understand our manly bond!" Taka stated.

"The guys here can barely understand it." Leon mumbled.

" **Feels gross?" Mondo looked offended at that. "Hell no. Feels great, more like!"**

 **That got Hina recoiling a little. "This almost feels like sexual harassment, somehow…."**

" **Forget her, bro." Taka said, shaking his head. "A girl like her just doesn't get our manly bond! Friendship between men is stronger than blood! A woman could never understand!"**

" **What you just said? Bro, that was cool as shit!" Mondo complimented. "I should get a tattoo of it!"**

" **No, bro, you mustn't!" Taka statd. "Your body is a temple, given to you by your loving parents!"**

Taka sighed happily. "It feels wonderful, reliving the moments we've become as close as brothers!"

"Yeah. Too bad we couldn't see the entire thing." Mondo agreed with Taka. "But at least we got have memories of those time, bro."

"Memories that will be longed cherish!"

"Th-The swimmer is r-right. This d-does feel like sexual harassment." Toko said with a shudder. Sayaka couldn't help but be in agreement to that. Even the more stoic girls felt a bit uncomfortable, but didn't show it. Those two got along a bit "too well".

"Well, it nice that the two were able to get along so well." Chihiro said, despite feeling uncomfortable herself.

" **So, um….who won the contest?" Makoto asked.**

 **The response was this. "Who gives a shit?!" Mondo exclaimed.**

" **Yeah, don't ask stupid questions!" Taka stated. "What matters is that we both took part of it together!"**

" **That's….completely different from what you were saying last night." Makoto couldn't help but say.**

"And to this day, none of us figured out what had happen in that sauna." Leon sighed.

"A mystery above all mysteries." Hifumi said in a spooky voice.

" **Friendship between men seems very….simplistic." Sakura couldn't help but say. "Nothing like what I'm used to with girls."**

" **Yeah, for real…." Hina agreed.**

"Kinda reminds me of some of the soldiers in Fenrir." Mukuro muttered. Some of those bonds were formed in similar circumstances to Taka and Mondo, though being herself, she never understood it. She's kinda glad that she isn't the only one. ' _Maybe...I can do this with Makoto?'_ She thought before returning her attention to the screen.

 **Trying to ignore the whole 'brotherhood' thing Taka and Mondo are radiating, Makoto sat in front of Kyoko. "Hey, Kyoko." The luckster greeted. The lavender haired girl regarded him with a nod.**

 **While the two ate their breakfast, Kyoko was silent as usual.** ' _ **Quiet as ever….I guess she doesn't like to waste her words.'**_ **He then tried to make conversation. "Hey, um….Kyoko?"**

" **If you're expecting a conversation, don't." Kyoko bluntly stated. "There's no need for it."**

"And here goes the Ice Queen of class 78th!" Junko remarked cheerfully. "Cold as ever!" She received a flat and annoyed look from Kyoko in response.

" **But, I mean," Makoto fumbled for something to say. "Don't you think talking is important? I feel like if we're gonna get out of here, we all need to be on the same page. And to do that, we need to get to know each other."**

"Well said, Makoto!" Taka agreed on. "Mutual understanding of each other can increase our chance of getting out of here!"

"Unfortunately, our clashing personalities and Monokuma will interfere with that." Mukuro said with a sigh. "The bear will set motives for us to kill each other, and there are those who don't want to work together."

"Byakuya and Toko." Leon fake coughed out. Byakuya gave him a non-amused glance while Toko scowled at him.

" **You could certainly make the argument that forming friendships may help prevent killings." Kyoko said. "But are you asking for some kind of deep connection?"**

" **...Huh?"**

" **You could just be deceiving us, pretending to be everyone's friend so you can gather information." Kyoko accused.**

That got Junko bursting into laughter. "Makoto…..deceiving…..someone?" The fashionista wheezed out, holding her stomach. "Oh, you're hilarious, Kyoko."

Leon, Mondo, Toko, Sayaka, and Hina also bursted out laughing or giggling. The idea of Makoto trying to deceive people so he can kill somebody is just so doubtful, that it's laughable.

Kyoko felt her cheeks go slightly red, slightly turning away from her peers. "Given the circumstances, it was a fair accusation." The detective defended herself.

 **Makoto's eyes widen in alarm at the accusation. "N-No, that's not-!"**

" **Well then, let's do a quick test, shall we?" She interrupted.**

" **A….test?" His alarmed look now turned into confusion.**

" **If you're as gung-ho on friendship as you claim, this should be an easy question." Kyoko told him.**

" **O-Oh, okay," The luckster agreed. "So I just have to answer your question, is that it?"**

" **Are you ready?" With that, she began. "You consider Hina one of your friends, yes? If that's true, what is her ultimate ability?"**

" **That's an easy one," Makoto said with some confidence. "Hina's the Ultimate Swimming Pro, of course."**

 **Kyoko considered his answer. "Well….asked and answer." She said. "Then your pleas of camaraderie are true."**

" **Of course….!"**

"L-Like M-Makoto is capable of deception." Toko snorted, still letting out of a few snickers. "T-That means Hiro is a-actually smart."

"I am smart!"

"You have a functioning brain that rarely works. That's about it." Celeste remarked, sounding both polite and dry at the same time.

" **Yes, of course." Kyoko agreed, with a slight smile. "Such a foolishly open person as you could never lie. Everyone would know right away."**

' _ **Again with that "foolish open" stuff….'**_

"Ooh, so you were testing him." Sayaka mulled out loud, to which Kyoko gave her a "you-didn't-have-to-announce-it" look.

"Regardless, Kyoko is merely speaking the truth." Byakuya remarked dryly. "Your honest nature makes you a great target for deception."

Makoto silently winced to himself, remembering what happened to chapter 1. But he didn't let that get to him. "Maybe," He admitted. "But I'd rather be honest with others than be suspicious of them or lie to them."

" **Okay then, as promised….what would you like to know about me?" Kyoko inquired.**

" **Oh, um….let's see…." Makoto frown in thought. "What school did you go to, before you came here?"**

" **Before I came here….?" It was Kyoko turned to be in thought. "I guess I was living abroad."**

' _Huh?'_ Makoto, Byakuya, Celeste, and the present Kyoko caught the future Kyoko's words, along with her wording.

Junko, on the other hand, quickly figured it out. ' _Oh, so I wiped her memories of being a detective.'_ She thought to herself. ' _Makes sense, since being an Ultimate Detective would make the trials less of a challenge. Too bad that didn't work.'_ She mentally pouted at that. ' _Oh well! That means I gotta do more than that! Hehehe!'_

" **Abroad….?" Makoto repeated curiously. "Was it an exchange program? Or do your parents work overseas or something?"**

 **Once again, Kyoko was silent in thought. "My parents? I suppose?"**

"Um, what with the questions mark?" Hiro asked in confusion. "Does she not know anything about her parents?"

"Maybe she's just not telling him?" Chihiro wondered.

"No. I can say for sure that she is quite confused, and I do know about my parents." Kyoko said with a small frown. "I was at my mother's funeral, and I found out about my father being in Hope's Peak before enrolling here." Her father was the main reason why she enrolled.

"Then what's up with the questions?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Kyoko responded back, putting her focus back onto the TV.

' _ **Why all the questions marks….?'**_ **Makoto thought in confusion.** ' _ **Anyway, okay….so she was living abroad because of her dad's job.'**_ **Makoto spoke up once again. "So what's kind of work does he do?"**

 **And again, she thought about that question. "Foreign government? Top secret clearance….?"**

"Why on earth is she questioning herself?" Taka questioned. "It's like she's trying to remember these things, but don't have a clear memory."

As he spoke his words, it sparked a realization in some of the students' mind, especially Kyoko's. Makoto turned to the detective with wide eyes. "Do you think….your memories of being a detective got wiped from your mind?"

That took the others who hasn't figured it out by surprise, while Kyoko nodded in agreement. "Along with memories of my father and possibly other members of my family." She mused. "Anything that had any association of my talents."

"So wait, the mastermind wiped your memories of being a detective too?" Hina asked with wide eyes. "Seriously?"

"It would explain her answers, and the way she words them." Celeste stated. "She spoke with uncertainty, and it's very rare for Kyoko to speak like that. Also, the way she was silent for a moment also indicated that she's trying to remember what Makoto had asked her."

"But why take Miss Kirigiri's memory?" Hifumi asked.

"Most likely an attempt to get rid of her abilities as a detective." Byakuya deduced. "After all, the way is killing game is made, her talent would be the most useful. But it seemed to have failed, considering the class trial."

"Of course. The brain works like a muscle, as it can't forget the skills it has developed." Mukuro described. "If you've learned to fight in battle, play in olympics, or solve mysteries, a memory wipe wouldn't make those abilities go away. Your subconscious mind would remember the abilities you possess."

"Wow, okay. That's some food for thought." Junko would have to remember that. ' _It would seem, she didn't mention that in this future... oh well~!'_

"Well, I'm glad she still had her talents." Makoto said with a sheepish chuckle. "Otherwise, we might've been goners in the class trials."

Kyoko smiled. "I am glad that my skills as a detective didn't disappear with my memories as well."

' _ **More question marks?'**_ **The luckster couldn't help but wonder. But once again, he shook it off.** ' _ **Okay, so he does top secret work for other governments….all I can think of is….assassin?'**_

That got some of them bursting out laughing again. Kyoko looked at him with an amused smirk. "Were you trying to guess my talent?"

Makoto blushed. "H-Hey, I didn't have much to work with!" He protested.

"Still dude, it hilarious that you came to that conclusion." Leon laughed out. The luckster's cheeked burned in embarrassment.

"Lay off, Leon!"

 **She stood up. "I kept up my end of the deal." She stated. "This should be enough, right? I'm leaving now." With that, she got up and left.**

"Well, as abrupt as usual." Celeste teased "There is a thing called social etiquette. You, Byakuya, and Toko can learn a thing or two about."

Kyoko and Byakuya gave her non-amused looks. "My etiquette is fine, thank you." Byakuya said curtly.

"Y-Yeah! Master is perfect just the way he is!" Toko hissed at Celeste. The gothic gambler merely giggled.

"Very well. No need for me to stop your delusions."

' _No. She isn't rude, she's confused...'_ Makoto thought to himself.

 **Makoto watched as she left. "She's so full of mysteries." He couldn't help but muttered.** ' _ **And hearing what she had to say just makes it even more mysterious on top of everything….'**_

"She's probably a mystery to herself." Celeste said. "After all, a good chunk of her past has been taken away from her mind."

"So it would seem." Kyoko agreed with a nod. "But it does answer something else."

"What is it?" Sayaka asked curiously.

"That the mastermind sees me as a threat to their plans." She answered. "If they would go through the trouble of wiping away more of my memories than anyone else's, then I am clearly a threat to them."

Makoto looked worry. "Do you think they'll come after you?"

"There's a chance." The detective admitted. "But they seem to hold their rules in high regards, so it's unclear right now if they would break it just to get rid of me."

' _Would I?'_ Junko wondered to herself. ' _Gee, I don't know. Probably not blatantly. Maybe something underhanded that public wouldn't see.'_

"Well, I hope your future self will be okay." Makoto said, still concerned. "I know you can take care of yourself, Kyoko, but I'm still worried."

Kyoko smiled. "Your worries are appreciated Makoto, but unneeded. I'm not an easy target, and those would think that, will come to regret it."

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next they'll watch Toko spying on Byakuya, with Makoto being dragged along. Also more free time events. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: One of these days... I might actually cave and buy V3 at that ridiculous 79.99 CAD ... *cries***


	31. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P7

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here, they'll be seeing growing 'love' for Byakuya, along with some more free time events. Some involving the plot, somewhat. I hope you enjoy.**

 **P.S. Who's your favorite character in V3?**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Review Responses!**

 **Q: Will you show the rest of Chihiro's FTE's?  
L: Welp, read on!  
S: What Lucky said!**

 **Q: Do you know what to do when Makoto finds out his real talent?  
L: It's a long ways out so we have plenty of time to prepare for it. Although, I'm not too worried about that considering how we're doing already.  
S: Agreed. We've manage to make these reactions accurate to their characters so far.**

Chapter 30: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 7

 **The next scene showed Makoto walking in the hallway. "So, what should I do today?" He mused to himself.**

 **As he was walking, something grabbed him by the arm from behind. He turned around in slight surprise until he realized it was just Toko.**

 **"T-Toko?" Makoto asked, still reeling from the sudden grab. "What's the matter?"**

" **Why are you s-so surprised? Am I really that an-noying?" She scoffed. "W-Well I already know I'm annoying. I came here kn-knowing that, so….that makes it okay…."**

The group let out a collective sigh. Gloomy Toko just depressed everyone.

" **No, you're not annoying," Makoto denied. "I'm just wondering what was going on."**

" **I have a f-favor to ask," She told him. "I want you to g-go somewhere with me…."**

"Go where?" A familiar glint entered Hifumi's eyes. "Could it be that Miss Fukawa is wanting to be with Mr. Naegi?"

"W-What?!." Makoto cried.

"D-Definitely not!" Toko exclaimed. "Master is my one and only true love!"

"Oh, but who knows? Maybe you're imagining Mr. Togami and Mr. Naegi- OW!" A baseball hit him right between the eyes.

"Hey, do us a favour and at least keep that stuff to yourself." Leon stated, shivering a little. "I want to keep my sanity."

"Agreed." Byakuya said curtly, his face showing obvious disgust. "And thank you, Leon, for silencing him before he could continue that line of nightmare."

" **And….where is it you want to go?"**

 **Toko looked hesitant on saying. "W-Well….the library."**

"Oh, of course it's the library." Junko deadpanned.

"Where else would she go?" Taka said. "After all, she is the Ultimate Writing Prodigy! It makes perfect sense that she would like to read the books there!"

That got the others to stare at him blankly. "...Looks like we'll need another talk soon, bro." Mondo sighed.

" **Huh?" Makoto looked at her in confusion. "Are you looking for a book or something? Why don't you just ask Byakuya? He spends all his time in the library, anyway."**

 **The moment he finished his words, Toko gasped audibly with a half shriek, causing Makoto to take a step back. "D-Did I say something wrong….?"**

" **You're not a b-b-blabbermouth, right?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes at him. "This h-has to be a secret!"**

 **Makoto looked at her for a moment before sighing. "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, but if you want me to be quiet, I'll be quiet."**

"Some secret." Junko stated with an eye roll. "Anyone with eyes can see that you have the hots for Byakuya."

"That's putting it lightly I think..." Sayaka said.

" **Then let's g-go to the library!"**

" **Okay, I got it, the library…." Makoto sighed as the two began walking to the library.** ' _ **Jeez, why so pushy?'**_

 **The scene switched to Makoto and Toko slowly entering the library. "Qu-Quiet! Be quiet when you g-go in! ….Don't l-let him see you!" As they crept into the library, Byakuya was already sitting at one of the tables reading a book.**

" **H-He's here," Toko muttered, staring at Byakuya. She let a small, strange laugh. "He's r-really here."**

"Okay, raise your hand if you saw that coming." Thirteen hands shot into the air, with Taka still oblivious to what's happening, and Toko and Byakuya refusing to admit it. "Yeah, thought so."

 **She turned to Makoto. "Okay, M-Makoto. Go talk to him!"**

" **What?!"**

" **Stop b-being so loud!" Toko shushed. "Just hurry up and g-go talk to him!"**

A few mouths were agape. "What do you expect him to say?" Sayaka asked.

Toko looked away. "I-I don't know. But I want to see how c-cool Master is."

"Then you should go talk to him!" Leon retorted.

"Don't tell her that." Byakuya said, clearly displeased. "Her presence enough is annoying."

" **You go talk to him, if you want to so bad….!" Makoto retorted.**

 **Toko shook her head. "I c-can't! I don't want to i-interrupt him….!"**

' _ **That's….kinda crazy.'**_ **Makoto couldn't help but deadpan to himself.**

"Definitely."

"Definitely messed up."

"Miss Fukawa is an unstable individual, that's for sure."

Toko gave Junko, Hiro, and Hifumi a nasty glare for their responses.

 **Makoto's focus returned to Byakuya, who didn't move an inch from his sitting position.** ' _ **He seems to be really focused on that book. It doesn't seems like the best time to talk to him….'**_

 **Taking his eyes off his book, he turned towards Makoto's and Toko's hiding spot. "Hey, you." He spoke up. "What are you doing back here? I hate even having to look at you."**

"Byakuya, can you even be a little respectful towards your classmates?" Taka lectured sternly.

"And what's wrong with Makoto?" Hina pouted angrily. "He's adorkable!"

"Yeah!" Sayaka agreed firmly, embarrassing Makoto. Leon, Mondo and Hiro laughed at Makoto, which only worsened his embarrassment. It was something Hina and Sayaka came up with some time ago, and they're fond of calling him that every now and then.

" **Ah," Makoto got out of his hiding spot. "So you noticed me, huh?"**

" **...Of course." Byakuya confirmed. "Now hurry up and leave. And take her with you."**

 **Toko was silent as she got out of her hiding spot. "Hey, um….Byakuya?"**

 **Byakuya raised an eyebrow, silently asking what. "Remember how you said, 'Don't be a woman who dominates w-weak men. Be a woman dominated by a s-strong man'?"**

"...The fuck?" Was Mondo's simple statement. It was something most of the others was thinking as well.

"Oh, come on! Are we hearing more of Toko's fantasies?" Leon groaned. "I had enough of those to last a lifetime!"

Several shuddered at the memory of Toko's vivid fantasies, especially the one who played a part of it.

 **The scowl on his face increased. "I never said that."**

" **W-Well, actually, I just thought it sounded like s-something you might say…." Toko giggled a little.**

"Like I would let those words be uttered from my mouth." Byakuya said in disgust.

" **...Get out." Byakuya said, pure disgust in his tone. "And go take a bath. You smell."**

 **Toko reeled back from the brutality of his words, but stood where she was, looking completely shocked.**

 **"Don't make me say it again." Byakuya ordered. "Go now, before your stench latches onto the entire room."**

"Damn." Mondo couldn't help but say. "That's brutal."

"That's no way to speak to a young lady, Byakuya!" Taka scolded.

"Is there anyway you could be, I dunno, nicer?" Hina asked him. Byakuya merely let out a 'hmph'.

"And risk leading her on?" The heir said. "I'll pass."

" **O-Okay…." With that, Toko slowly left, with Makoto following her.**

 **As they got out of the library, Makoto couldn't help but notice her silence. "He really dug into us there." He said. "Maybe he's in a bad mood…." She continued staying silent.** ' _ **She seems super depressed. Did he really upset her that much?'**_

"Wow, you really upset her, Byakuya." Hina pointed out.

"Your future self should really apologize to her." Chihiro suggested.

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "I could care less if she gets upset." The heir stated. "Maybe she'll leave me alone, at least in the future."

' _Don't count on it.'_ Makoto thought to himself. He remembered a similar experience with Toko, and had an idea of what's about to happen. Especially with the small sighs and giggles Toko are letting out.

" **Byakuya….to go that far…." Her head then shot up, a smile and a big blush on her face. "He must be r-really concerned about me!"**

" **...Huh?"**

That was not something everyone else was prepared for, but felt as if they should have been. "...We really should've seen that coming." Junko deadpanned.

"Indeed." Sakura agreed.

Byakuya sighed in annoyance, pressing his palms on his forehead.

" **He told me t-to take a bath and everything." She explained. "He must really care a-about my well-being!"**

"M-Master cares a lot about m-me!" Toko stated. "Especially since h-he made sure I get a bath!"

"How the hell are you interpreting it as him caring?" Leon questioned in disbelief.

Celeste was the one to answer. "It's because she has so much affection for him, that any words he speaks will be taken as compliments."

"I still think, that that's putting it lightly." Sayaka repeated herself.

 **Makoto slightly gaped at her, not believing what he's hearing. "Hey, M-Makoto….what do you think?" Toko asked shyly.**

" **Think….about what?" He asked cautiously.**

" **Do you think B-Byakuya and I would be….g-good together?"**

"No. No, we would not." Byakuya said with an eye twitch. "And those who would say otherwise will regret it."

" **Um, well now….I-I don't really know." He answered.**

Byakuya looked over at Makoto, his eyes bearing a certain kind of threat that he hasn't seen before. "It was future me, future me!" Makoto panicked.

Kyoko quickly spoke up. "Calm down, Byakuya. Besides, at least he didn't say yes." Byakuya looked over at Kyoko for bit before sighing and returning his gaze to the screen.

"It appears we'll need to have a talk sometime."

"O-Of course!" Makoto let out a sigh of relief, then turned to Kyoko. "Thanks for the save." He whispered. Kyoko smiled and silently waved it off, signalling him to just keep watching

" **That's t-true." Toko admitted. "There's really no w-way to know….but the distance between u-us doesn't change our love….!"**

"Um, did she forget that the love is only one-sided?" Hiro asked in confusion. Toko glared at him.

"N-No, it's not!"

"No, the fool is right." Byakuya deadpanned. "The only thing I feel towards you is pure disgust!"

"B-But master!"

" **Because as soon as you realize your f-feelings, the love is born. That's h-how love works!"**

" **O….kay." Makoto slowly said, probably the only thing he could say.**

" **There m-might come a day when y-you understand." Toko said. "Maybe. S-Someday."**

' _I kinda hope not.'_ Makoto thought with a sweatdrop. At least, not this way.

" **Well….bye." With that, Toko left in a daze. Makoto merely stood where he was, utterly befuddled.**

 **Monokuma then suddenly appeared. "Ah, young love!"**

" **Uwah!"**

The others yelped and/or jumped as well. "Damn it, will he stop doing that?!" Mondo growled.

"I'm way too young to have a heart attack!" Hiro agreed.

 **Monokuma continued speaking. "Who would've guessed she would go for someone like him? But eager passion can also be scary! Sometimes that leads people off in the wrong direction!" Ending that with a laugh, he left the area, leaving Makoto even more befuddled.**

" **...All of a sudden, I feel exhausted." Makoto deadpanned tiredly.**

"I don't blame you." Kyoko sighed. "Anyone would be after going through that."

"I would probably nap in one of the classrooms, first chance I get." Leon remarked.

Taka didn't take that well. "Sleeping inside a classroom is prohibited!"

" **Maybe I'll go back to my room for now…." With that, he went back to the the first floor.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto coming down the stairs. When he got downstairs, he was met with a depress looking Taka. "Taka?"**

" **I'm weak, Makoto," Taka moaned. "So very weak…."**

"What's wrong, bro?" Mondo asked in concern.

Taka groaned. "I think I've hit my own limit, trapped in that place."

" **What happened….?" Makoto asked in concern.**

" **Haven't you realized?" Taka asked him. "This school is missing something of the utmost importance! Textbooks! Classes!"**

"It looks like I'm correct."

"Yeah, that explains it." Mondo sighed. "Even when sick as hell, you won't let it stop you from going to school."

"This must be absolute torture for you." Celeste commented on. She can't imagine how her future self is fairing right now.

' _ **Oh, um….I can't say I really miss the stuff.'**_ **Makoto admitted to himself.**

"Makoto!"

The luckster laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, Taka." He apologized.

"Not everyone is a study fanatic like you are." Leon remarked.

" **I'm just gonna come right out and say it….I'm freaking out!" Taka stated, getting into a panic. "As we speak, we're being left in the dust by other students our age! I'm totally freaking out!"**

"Imagine how he would feel if he finds out that some of his memories were taken." Junko said.

Unfortunately, that thought provoked the present Taka. "Oh no….with his memories gone, at least a year worths of knowledge has disappeared!" He shouted in panic. "Maybe even more!"

"W-Why did you have go a-and say that?" Toko groaned.

Mondo put a hand on Taka's shoulder. "Bro, calm down! We'll be able to stop this from happening, trust me! We won't be behind anyone!"

The Moral Compass took those words in before taking some deep breaths. "Okay. I'm good."

" **Makoto! What should I do?!" He asked the luckster. "If I keep involuntarily skipping class like this, I'm gonna reach dunce status in no time!"**

" **I-It's not really that big a deal. Just calm down…." Makoto told him. "You were always at the top of your class at the private school you used to go to, right? I mean, you're basically genius level, so even if you miss some classes, it's not the same as an ordinary kid ditching…."**

Taka froze at the word, "genius". Mondo and Makoto also froze before looking at Taka worriedly, knowing that the guy doesn't like that word.

"Yeah, that's true." Hina agreed, unknowingly adding fuel to the fire. "Taka's grades are one of the best out of the class, so that must make him a gen-"

"No." Taka spoke, his voice quiet but fierce. "No, I'm not a genius. I'm just an ordinary student, just like anyone else. So don't call me a genius!"

That cause some of the others to reel back a bit. "Whoa! What's wrong with you?" Leon questioned. Taka merely stayed silent, inclining his head toward the TV.

" **Genius….?" Taka seemed to freeze at the word. "Don't say that…."**

" **Huh….?"**

" **I'm no genuis. I'm a normal person, just like anyone else." He insisted. "I'm from a middle-class family, you know? Actually, they're not even middle-class. That's why I have to push so hard! I have to knock down that wall!"**

" **It's not geniuses that change the world. It's ordinary people who make every effort they can." Taka continued. "And to prove that, I have to keep on making effort after effort after effort!"**

"It's ordinary people that change the world?" Byakuya scoffed at that. "Do you commoners really believe that?"

"I have to agree with Togami." Celeste spoke in. "The only one who change the world, are geniuses."

"Of course the two of you would say that!" Taka remarked with a scowl. "But I will not stand down! I know I'm right!"

"If you say so, dear." Celeste giggled.

" **So don't call me a genius!" Taka demanded. "Don't lump me in with those lazy clods who don't put in any effort!"**

" _What_?" Byakuya hissed, clearly looking angry.

Taka's words also angered Celeste, who had her eyes narrowed. "Lazy clods, are we?" She asked rhetorically, with a thin line of anger in her tone.

Taka didn't back down from the two and glared at them. "While my choice of words could have been better, I stand by my opinion!" The Moral Compass said fiercely. "Geniuses put no effort into what they are doing, have no value of actual hard-work!"

"And what right have you to judge me, _commoner_?" The heir and the honor student glared fiercely at one another, neither one backing down.

"Bro, calm down." Mondo sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "No fucking point getting into an argument. We need to finish this damn show, or vision, or, whatever the fuck it is."

Taka continued glaring at Byakuya for a moment before settling down. At the same time, the heir huff and settled as well.

Meanwhile, Junko mentally pouted to herself. She is not lazy! She's working hard to bring despair into the world, doesn't she?

….On second thought, she might be a little lazy.

" **S-Sorry," Makoto apologized. "That's not what I was trying to do."**

 **Taka was silent for a moment. "No, I'm sorry. I got a little carried away. But I only said all that because you and me are the same. You and me, we're just normal people. We know that it means to make an effort. That's why I want you to know exactly how I feel…."**

" **I understand…."**

Sayaka, Hina, and Leon couldn't help but emphasize with Taka a little. Without their own talents, they're just as normal as he is. So they can understand how he's feeling.

" **And that's why I'm so passionate about the morals committee." Taka continued. "I want to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to give it everything they've got. That's why I put all my blood, sweat, and tears into creating that kind of environment. I want everyone else to understand that, too."**

" **In the end, you can't succeed if you don't try. Anyone who says differently is selling something." He pulled his fist up. "Effort is everything! That's the only way to fix anything in this world! And I have to prove that to all the ordinary people out there so they'll keep on trying! I have to become the ordinary man who can surpass any genius!"**

"Wow, Taka." Hina said in awe. "That's some determination."

"Strong conviction, that's for sure." Leon agreed.

Sayaka looked at Taka, feeling more empathy towards him. It's like her trying to realize her dream.

Sakura hummed. "The ordinary man who can surpass any genius. That's a challenging path."

"And I intend to stay that course!" Taka stated in pure conviction. "I'll be one of the many that will surpass geniuses!"

Byakuya merely scoffed at the notion, while Celeste rolled her eyes. However, the former couldn't help but understand the commoners a bit better, seeing Taka's viewpoint.

" **Those are the feelings I carried with me when I entered Hope's Peak Academy…." He looked down. "But now that I'm trapped in here, I've been robbed of the opportunity to make that effort. So now what am I supposed to do….?"**

" **Taka…." Makoto said, his voice soft.**

" **Sorry, Makoto." Taka apologized. "I didn't mean to make you listen to my pathetic complaining…."**

 **The luckster shook his head. "No, it's not pathetic at all." He reassured. "I can totally understand why you'd be upset. You obviously feel really strongly about this."**

" **I really hope you don't give up and start to lose track of what you want to do." Makoto told him. "If you really believe that effort is what matters, you can't give up, right? Because if you can't make that effort, then what do you have left?"**

"He….has a great point." Taka said. He clenched his fist in determine. "I cannot give up my philosophy, just because I'm trapped in a school! If anything, I need to cling onto it further!"

"That's the spirit, bro." Mondo supported his best friend. "And I'm damn sure Makoto's speech is going to encourage future you."

 **Taka's eyes widen at this. "I think until you said that just now, I'd totally forgotten what I was here for." He said. "The foundation of effort is the will to never give up."**

 **He clenched his fists. "You're right! I have to try, no matter the situation. Even without classes, without assignments, I can just look back at what I've learned already and reinforce those basic principles!"**

"Good idea, me!" Taka cheered.

" **Yeah, good idea!" Makoto agreed.**

 **Taka smiled. "I'm glad we had this talk, Makoto." He said sincerely. "Wow, I feel so much better getting all that off of my chest! As my way to say thanks, next time I buckle down for a study session, I'll make sure to invite you! Let's work together as fellow ordinary people to show those geniuses who's boss!"**

"Look like he got his old energy back." Hina chirped.

"Definitely." Mondo agreed. "Makoto's words definitely had a good effect!"

"And I, myself, will take those words to heart!" Taka said passionately. "If I'm ever not able to go to school, I'll re-evaluate what I've already learned!"

"Glad to hear that I could help." Makoto said, rubbing his head sheepishly.

 **Makoto smiled, seeing the usual energy back from him.** ' _ **Even though he says he's not a genius, I still think he is one.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **He's one when it comes to effort.**_ _ **Still, I did notice one thing,'**_ **A small frown etched onto his face.** ' _ **He seems to have a lot of hostility toward the idea of someone being a genius. Is there some reason he feels that way….?'**_

"Yeah, now that he mentions it, is there a reason you hate geniuses so much?" Leon asked with a raised eyebrow.

Taka shook his head. "Like Makoto said, I dislike the idea of someone being a genius, not geniuses themselves." The Moral Compass simply said.

Meanwhile, Chihiro looked down, feeling a bit hurt. Many people considered her a genius, thanks to her skills in programming. Does that mean Taka considers her lazy? As someone who doesn't put effort into what they're doing?

 **Still feeling a bit tired from dealing with Monokuma and Toko, Makoto went over to the dormitory hall. When he got there, he was met with Hina, who looked exhausted. "Ugh….Hey, Makoto…."**

"Wow. You looked tired, Hina." Hiro noticed.

"Did she decide to run a marathon through the school?" Junko questioned.

Taka didn't take that joke well. "Running through the hallway is prohibited!"

" **I'm so tired…."**

" **Yeah, you looked pretty tired." Makoto agreed. "What happened?"**

" **Well, I wanted to forget that scene between Taka and Mondo, so I decided to do a push-up, sit-up, and squat set." Hina explained. "I ended up doing a thousand of each…."**

"Why am I not surprised by this?" Leon asked blankly.

"Her stamina is definitely maxed out." Hifumi said. "Probably even above the cap…."

"At least she's taking Makoto's advice to heart." Sakura said, smiling.

" **Well, that would explain it." Makoto deadpanned a bit.**

" **Tired….so tired….." Hina groaned. "I want….something sweet….I want those things you get when you mix flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, then deep fry 'em…."**

"Donuts." Everyone answered simultaneously.

"Yeah, that answer was too fucking obvious." Mondo sighed, getting an embarrassed blush from the donut lover herself.

 **It took Makoto a moment to guess. "You want some donuts, don't you?"**

" **Don't tell anyone, but there's actually a bunch of frozen donuts in the warehouse….!" Hina informed them. "Throw those in the microwave for a few minutes and just imagine….**

" **Imagine the chewiness of the donut!" She told him. "You know what Im sayin', right?! You'd eat the crap outta that, right?!"**

" **You really do love donuts, huh?" Makoto asked her.**

" **Is there anyone who doesn't?" Hina retorted. "Who on Earth-no, who in the whole universe can say they hate donuts?!"**

" **Think about the sensation of biting into a donut. First the sweetness floods your mouth, then the soft dough cushion you…." A look of contentment is etched onto her face. "Next you get that hint of egg and butter, right? Your whole body starts to melt….you feel like you're falling into the center of the donut itself!"**

Hina felt her mouth watered at the description she's giving, and felt hungry more and more hungry. So without hesitation, she grabbed more donuts leftover from the buffet and started eating more.

That cause several of her friends to shake their heads fondly. "Welp, there she goes again." Leon spoke for everyone.

" **When people talk about the donut effective, that's what they're talking about….!"**

"They do not, you idiot." Byakuya deadpanned.

"You really need to learn to make better metaphors." Celeste giggled, getting a small raspberry from Hina.

" **That's absolutely not true." Makoto stated bluntly.**

" **Ah, I can't take it anymore!" She shouted, suddenly. "I'm drooling like Niagra Falls over here! Get outta my way, Makoto, or I got an uppercut with your name on it!"**

" **I-I'm not in the way…." He said nervously.**

 **But she wasn't listening, or is barely listening. "Wait for me, god of donuts!" With the declaration, she ran off.**

 **Makoto was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "Whenever I'm around her, I feel like I'm soaking in the essence of human vitality…."**

"No argument there." Mondo agreed with Makoto. "I even feel energized just by watching her."

"It's a good thing that she can affect people like that. I for one, welcome this energy." Sakura smiled, bringing a sheepish grin to the swimmer.

' _ **At least I don't feel tired anymore.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **I guess I can do my laundry...**_ _ **'**_

 **The next scene showed Makoto, holding a pile of clothes, entering the laundry room. There, he saw Chihiro sitting at one of the benches. "Hey, Chihiro." Makoto greeted.**

 **The programmer looked up before smiling. "Oh, hey Makoto." Chihiro greeted back. "You're here to do laundry, too?"**

" **Yeah." Makoto confirmed, putting his clothes in one of the washers. "You too?"**

" **Mmhmm." She confirmed. Then she looked down nervously, twisting her fingers together. "Um, if you don't hate the idea….would you like to talk some more?"**

' _ **Jeez, if there's anyone who can say no to someone who asks like that, I'd like to meet 'em.'**_ **Makoto thought.**

"Yeah."

"Same here!"

"Very hard to say no to that face."

Chihiro blushed at Sayaka's, Hina's, and Hifumi's words. "I think the only person here who would say no is Byakuya." Hiro said.

"But he doesn't have a soul, so he doesn't count." Leon retorted.

"Very funny." Byakuya muttered with an eye roll.

 **Makoto nodded, sitting down beside her. "Sure, I'd love to learn more about you."**

" **Okay. But….want do you want to know?" Chihiro asked him.**

" **Well, let's see," Makoto thought about it for a moment. "What kind of program are you working on now? I bet it's pretty amazing."**

" **Oh! Actually, I just started the research process for something…." Chihiro told him. "You remember that database software I told you about? I'm retooling it into something a little more complex."**

"Really?" Taka asked, looking interested. "What do you mean, Chihiro?" Some of the others look interested as well.

Chihiro shifted uncomfortably. "I-I'm not allowed to talk about it. I signed an NDA with the company that hired me, so I can't really say anything…."

"But you told Makoto, didn't you?" That question came from Kyoko. That got a flush and a guilty look from the programmer.

Mondo laughed lightly at this and gently patted Chihiro on the back. "Don't worry about it, Chihiro. Whenever you're with the little guy, you intend to spill your guts about anything." There were even times he almost told him about the circumstances about his brother's death. It wasn't even something told his bro, or any of his close friends in the gang.

"Indeed." Kyoko nodded in agreement.

"There isn't any doubt there." Sakura nodded.

"He's the type of guy you open yourself up to." Sayaka said.

"W-Without even realizing it, s-sometimes." Toko added in.

The luckster himself is blushing beet red at their words.

" **But I signed an NDA with the company that hired me, so I can't really go into the details…."**

" **Yeah, they probably wouldn't want the wrong people to hear about it, huh?" Makoto said in understanding.**

" **It's not that I don't trust you or anything!" She hastily said. "I just….made a promise, you know? S-Sorry…."**

" **No, it's okay." Makoto reassured. "It's my fault for asking about something you couldn't talk about."**

" **Oh, but," Chihiro started thinking for a moment. "...maybe I can give you a little hint."**

"So you actually gave him a hint?" Taka questioned. Chihiro nodded.

"I didn't think my hint would be too easy." Chihiro said, still sounding a bit guilty. "Guess I was wrong."

" **It has to do with simulating human thoughts."**

It didn't take long for the smarter students to figure it out. "So you're developing artificial intelligence?" Celeste questioned, causing some eyes to go wide.

Chihiro's eyes went wide before she began looking more guilty. "I knew it. My hint is too easy…."

"More like you're dealing with smart people." Leon reassured. "Don't worry, Chihiro. I'm willing to bet that only some of us figured it out."

"Me, Makoto, Kyoko, and Celeste obviously." Byakuya listed off. "The others are too average in intelligence, or too dimwitted to figure it out."

' _Why do I have the feeling he's talking about me?'_ Hina, Hiro, and Mondo thought simultaneously.

 **After a moment, it clicked to Makoto. "You're developing some kind of artificial intelligence, aren't you?"**

" **Ah!" Chihiro gasped in surprise. "You figured it out! Was my hint too easy….?" She began to tear up in panic. "Ahh, what am I gonna do? If they find out I broke my promise, they might…."**

 **Makoto quickly reassured the girl. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna say anything to anyone."**

" **Y-Yeah, I know….I know I can trust you." Chihiro said, pulling herself together. "Okay, I guess I can tell you about it."**

 **Chihiro then began explaining. "I'm working on a type of artificial intelligence the world has never seen before. It's what we call a strong AI. It's designed to think like a human, to process any mental task we can."**

"A strong AI?" Hina tilted her head in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"Yeah? How different can an AI be?" Hiro asked.

"I'm sure future me will explain it." Chihiro told them.

" **A strong AI….?"**

" **You see, in the field of artificial intelligence, there's strong AI and weak AI." Chihiro informed him. "Weak AI isn't meant to match human intelligence. It's simply a type of problem-solving software. A weak AI isn't actually thinking, it's just executing actions programmed into it."**

" **Strong AI, on the other hand, is a program that can achieve true self-consciousness-full ego awareness." She continued. "In other words, a strong AI is a complete entity, a computer program capable of becoming aware. But it's always just been a hypothesis. Plenty of experts don't think it's even possible."**

Seeing that a few of the others are still a bit confused, Makoto explained. "Chihiro is basically saying that a weak AI only do things that are programmed to do, while a strong AI has the awareness and intelligence of a human being."

That got everyone understanding. "So, Chihiro is actually trying to do that?" Hina asked, sounding amazed. "That's sound cool! Something from a sci-fi movie!"

"I'm not sure." Hifumi said nervously. "What if the AI rebels against it's creator, and try to destroy all of man kind?"

"It won't do that!" Chihiro reassured quickly. "I promise, the AI won't have thoughts of hurting people!"

" **It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie…." Makoto murmured in awe. "And you're working on something like that?"**

" **Well like I said, right now I'm just researching it." Chihiro told him. "I've made a lot of progress on the programming side, and the intelligence development, but when it comes to actual awareness, it's still a long way off. It might even be impossible…."**

"So you already have a AI made?" Kyoko inquired.

Chihiro looked hesitant to answer, but eventually, she nodded. "Yes. Like I said, the programming and intelligence development is mostly done, but actual awareness is still a long ways off."

"Can you tell us more of this, AI?" Celeste inquired.

Before Chihiro could answer, Byakuya interrupted. "You should do it, later, when we're not watching this."

Just as some of the were about to argue, Chihiro quickly spoke up. "Y-Yes. You're right, Byakuya." She said quietly. "Let's continue watching, okay?"

That gain some sighs, but they complied with her request.

" **Really….?"**

" **I'm not sure how to put it, but…." Chihiro said, trying to think of the right words. "No matter how well designed or complex a program is, no matter how closely the software can simulate the workings of the human brain….I don't think that's enough. If the program is only simulating thought, it will always be lacking something."**

"And what is that something?" Taka inquired.

"It's probably the one thing that makes us all human." Sakura said. "A soul."

" **Lacking….?" Makoto inquired.**

" **Well…." Chihiro looked down. "I guess you could say….a soul."**

"Looks like you're correct, Miss Ogami." Hifumi said.

"Of course. It's kinda obvious, once you think about it." Makoto said. "A soul is something you can't really program. It's something you're born with, that's been with us all our lives. It can't be something you can create with technology or some other mean."

"Well said, Makoto." Sakura said, a small smile on her face.

" **If you could somehow poor your own soul into the software, maybe then a strong AI could be created." Chihiro said, sounding thoughtful.**

" **Wait….a soul?" Makoto repeated.**

" **Yeah, I know. It's not a programming term." Chihiro said, looking back up. "I'm not even sure how that would work on a technical level."**

"Not to mention, realistically." Mukuro said, crossing her arms. "It's impossible to physically take your soul out, and put it into something else."

"In addition, the idea of a soul would be rejected in the science field since there's no real way to prove that one exists. It's simply a concept that is universally agreed upon by people." Chihiro added.

"Do you think a ghost could go into an AI and use it to destroy us all?" Hiro suggested, sounding frightened. All this soul talk is scaring him.

And his question gain several groans of annoyance from the group. "Um, no. I don't think that's possible, Hiro." Makoto said, sweat dropping, before anyone else could snap at him.

" **S-Sorry, forget I mentioned it….." Shaking her head, she continued talking. "Anyway, all I have right now is theory. There's still a lot of research left to do."**

' _ **Artificial intelligence sounds like a pretty tough subject.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **But I'm glad I got to hear about it….'**_

 **Chihiro then gain a worried look. "I wasted your time on another boring topic." She murmured. "I must have bored you to death, huh?"**

" **No, the complete opposite!" Makoto reassured, smiling. "It was really interesting!"**

"Makoto's right! The subject of artificial intelligence is fascinating!" Taka agreed. "It's something I would like to include in my academic studies!"

"Yeah!" Sayaka agreed. "It was really nice to hear you talk about it!"

"It's an interesting topic to speak about, Chihiro." Sakura reassured, smiling. "Many of us hear were glad to listen to it."

Chihiro have a big smile on her face. She's really glad of her friends like it!

 **Chihiro looked surprised at that. "You mean it….?" A smile then lit up her face. "Okay! Next time we talk, I wanna hear about you!"**

" **Oh, well…." Makoto scratched his head sheepishly. "Unlike you, I really am boring."**

" **No excuses!" She stated. "It's your turn next time!"**

" **O-Okay…."**

"Hmm. Now that Chihiro has mentioned it, you've never talked about yourself, Makoto." Celeste brought up, looking at the luckster. "Am I wrong?"

Makoto sweatdropped at this. "Well, um…."

"Yeah, that's right!" Hina said in realization. "All of us talked about ourselves with you, but you've never talked about yourself to any of us, have you?"

"Well, I talked about my life with Chihiro." Makoto corrected/protested. "Besides, like I said, my life actually is boring compared to all of you guys."

"Like Chihiro said, that's no excuse!" Sayaka said firmly. "First chance we get, all of us should gather around and find out about you!"

Makoto gulped as several of the others nodded in agreement. Something tells me that he isn't gonna get out of this one.

 **Chihiro giggled happily at this. "Yay!"** (That got Hina and Sayaka squealing at how cute she's acting)

' _ **When she says it like that, I think the only way to refuse….is if you're one of those soulless AI program she mentioned.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself, looking at the happy programmer.**

"Yep."

"Definitely."

"No doubt about that."

"They really don't have a soul if they can say no THAT."

Chihiro looked down, turning beet red at the compliments washing over her. Do they really think she's that cute?

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I'm telling you, it's hard to pick out which free times to do, and when to do them. I don't want imagine doing this when I get to DR2. That's going to be a nightmare. Anyway, review, favorite, and follow, and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier random comments, totally not dying from school workload and part-time job: First snow here in Canada! Still wallowing in despair at V3's price! Bought DR:UDG from the Steam Halloween sale! Touhou music is actually awesome! Hope you're all having a good day and see you next update!**


	32. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P8

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, this chapter may be a bit shorter than usual. Here, we'll be doing a couple more free time events. And after this chapter, we'll be getting back to the main storyline in the next one. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Not many questions this time, but we'll still be answering them regardless!**

 **Q: Will Mukuro get a sense of self now that she's seen what happened to her?  
L: Short answer: Yes! Long answer: Slowly. Remember what kind of situation she's in right now. Also, even though she knows what happens to her, she still loves her sister very much (source: DR:IF). She just needs some time to work out what she wants :)  
** **S: Agreed.**

 **Regarding the typo on the last chapter:  
L: For some reason, when I was proof reading that chapter, I somehow managed to read that exact sentence at least 3 times and not see anything wrong with it o_o Thanks for pointing it out! Spirit should be fixing it as soon as he receives this doc from me :)  
S: Got it fixed. Should posted before or right after this chapter is posted. **

**Comment on the "good cop" "bad cop" with Makoto and Kyoko  
L: You know who would be a better pair? Junko and Makoto. Just imagine Junko preparing to break the poor guy's leg and Makoto's all like "Jesus christ that's inhumane! you can't do that!" and Junko's all cackling despair and what not :D (Just voicing my opinion here, there should be more non-despair Junko and Makoto. It's all despair when I look them up :( )  
S: Yeah, they do sound like a better pair of "good cop" and "bad cop". They're basically complete opposites. **

Chapter 31: Watching Ch 2: Boy's Life of Despair Part 8

 **"My post-training break is the most relaxing time of my day." Sakura told Makoto, both of which were talking in the locker room outside the gym. "The sensation of your muscles cooling down after heating up during a workout is the only true reward. No matters how many times I experience it, I never get tired of it."**

" **Do you exercise every morning, Sakura?" Makoto inquired.**

"Look like Sakura gets her turn with our favorite luckster." Junko mused.

"Now it looks like the only one who we didn't see talk to him is fatty." Leon remarked. Then he muttered. "Personally, I hope to avoid seeing conversations with him as much as possible."

"F-For once, I a-agree with you." Toko grumbled. The fanfic creator pretended not to hear them.

" **Unless there are errands that I absolutely can't get out of, yes, I always do my training." Sakura confirmed. "If I don't, I feel restless the entire day."**

" **But I'm amazed you can do it every single day. Doesn't it get tough?" Makoto inquired.**

" **I can't say I've ever seen it as tough." Sakura admitted. "It's all so that I can get stronger after all. And I have to get stronger, because my destiny is to fight."**

"Destiny?" Hifumi repeated in slight befuddlement. "Ah, aren't you overreacting a bit?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. Like all of my family, I was destined to fight."

"Just like how mine is destined to lead the world." Byakuya added in, to which, everyone ignored him.

" **Your destiny….is to fight?" Makoto repeated, in slight befuddlement.**

" **From the day I was born, I've been fighting." Sakura told him. "Heaven sent me to live as its champion."**

' _ **That's one heck of a legend….'**_ **Makoto thought in shock.**

"Yeah, no kidding." Leon gaped in shock. "I mean, really? The heavens sent you as a champion?"

"You believe that?" Hiro questioned, also gaping in shock.

Sakura nodded to this. Hina decided speak up. "It's not so surprising! I mean, she's super strong! There isn't anyone who can beat her in a fight!" Sakura smiled at Hina's confidence in her abilities.

" **My father was my master, and every waking moment was spent with him learning to fight." She informed him. "As a child, I sparred with boxing champions and hit the mat with wrestling gold medalists."**

"SAY WHAA?!" Hifumi gasped in shock.

The others looked at Sakura in shock. "Don't tell me you actually won against those guys?" Hiro asked, in slight fear.

Sakura shook her head. "No, of course not. It would be unrealistic of me to win I first began." That got a few sagging in relief at that.

" **I was no match for them when I first began, of course….but before long, they were no match for me."**

Of course, that relief was short-lived. "W-What do you mean by, 'before long'?" Hifumi asked hesitantly.

Sakura mused at that. "I would have to say about a year or so."

Astonishment and disbelief swept across the class. "And you're calling that, realistic?" Leon breathed in disbelief.

"Says the Ultimate Baseball Star, who never practiced once in his life." Celeste retorted. "I believe some of our talents are far beyond the norm when it comes to gaining them."

"Ain't that the fucking truth?" Mondo grumbled.

" **Y-You mean….you actually started beating people like that?" Makoto asked in slight disbelief.**

" **My specialty is mixed martial artists." Sakura told him. "It's the most effective real-world fighting style, which is why I chose it. I don't want to just be the best in competitions. I want to be the strongest human on Earth."**

" **I wouldn't bet against you, that's for sure." Makoto stated. "But aren't you already the best?"**

"You would think becoming the Ultimate Martial Artist would make you the strongest." Hifumi agreed with Makoto.

"Yeah. Especially since that even someone like Mukuro, who's the Ultimate Soldier, can't beat you in a fair fight." Leon pointed out. The soldier, though slightly displeased, silently nodded knowing that it's true.

"So why is this whole mixed art thing the best? I mean, I never learned any of it and I still beat people up just fine." Mondo commented.

"The problem with adhering to one martial art is that you're limiting the amount of options you have while also making yourself somewhat predictable in combat." Mukuro explained.

"Each form of art has their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, one traditional Chinese martial art, Wing Chun, is great for self defense as it teaches a lot of hand trapping and short range techniques for your casual encounters in a dark alley. However, its strength is also a weakness as you can only apply that in very specific ranges. That changes when you apply longer range techniques from another art such as Tae Kwon Do."

"I see, so realistically, one would be taking in the strengths of the various arts they have learned, and mold it into one; In other words, the perfect art." Celeste thought.

"The perfect art doesn't exist as each art's strength is a weakness to another in some way. It's a very complicated rock-paper-scissors system because of how flexible and broad each art is, but you get the idea." Mukuro said, earning a nod of agreement from Sakura.

"Wow that was boring. Can we get back to this?" Junko sighed.

 **Sakura shook her head. "No, not yet. There's still someone I have to surpass…."**

" **Really….?"**

" **Until I can beat him, I'll never become the strongest…."**

Sayaka was the first to react, completely surprised and mouth agape, she spoke: "You mean there's someone out there stronger than you?"

Like Sayaka, the feeling of disbelief and awe quickly spread amongst the others. "I'm gonna repeat what she said," Leon said slowly. Then, his voice got faster, and louder. "There's someone stronger than Sakura out there?!"

"No! No, no! I'm not gonna believe it!" Hifumi denied, covering his ears.

"Is this guy some fucking monster or something?" Mondo breathed in disbelief.

"It's still pretty hard to believe you know." Makoto added.

 **Sakura was silent at that.** ' _ **I honestly can't believe there's someone out there stronger than Sakura,'**_ **Makoto thought incredulously.** ' _ **If they're real….can they really be human?'**_

"Yeah, I agree! They can't be human!" Hiro said, pulling his dreads. "Ogre is scary enough! How can there be someone stronger than her?"

"Stop calling Sakura that!" Hina stated angrily.

"Can you tell us who that is?" Sayaka asked the martial artist.

Sakura looked away, in response to the question. "If this entire... matter, is really a vision of our future, then I'm sure it will be addressed eventually."

"W-Why not tell us, right now?" Toko questioned, with her usual tone.

"Because I prefer to not talk about it right now." Sakura answered softly. "It's a personal matter."

Hina look at her friend with worry. "Are you sure you're okay with it being revealed, Sakura?"

"Hina, it will be revealed, regardless of how I feel." Sakura told her. "And the others will eventually go through this as well, so there's no use worrying about it."

Her words silenced the class, each thinking about their own secrets.

 **Remembering something else she mentioned, he spoke up. "Um, you said that 'Until I can beat** _ **him**_ ' **. Does that mean the person is a guy?"**

" **He is indeed,** **a man." Sakura confirmed.**

" **So you were talking about….your dad?" Makoto confirmed.**

"A logical guess." Celeste agreed. "After all, who else other than the one who trained up to this point?"

"Yeah. It's got to be your old man, right?" Leon asked the martial artist herself.

 **Again, Sakura was silent, but only for a moment this time. "The family dojo has been passed down from generation to generation for the past three centuries."**

" **Three centuries….?" Makoto repeated in amazement. "That's one heck of a history."**

" **I was born into the family as an only daughter." Sakura continued. "Male or female don't matter. It's my duty to protect our legacy. And because I am a woman, I must be even stronger than if I were a man.**

" **Some would say that a woman is incapable of becoming the strongest human alive." She stated, determining lacing strongly in her voice. "I want to prove them wrong."**

"The people who say that are stupid." Leon deadpanned. "All you have to do is look at Sakura or Mukuro."

"Or any of the female fighters in Hope's Peak." Sayaka pointed out. "We certainly have a handful of them at the school."

"No argument there." Mondo agreed.

" **Which is why I subjected myself to such feverish training under my father's instruction. Surpassing my father was certainly important to me." Her voice finally went softer, back to her usual tone. "But that was just a matter of time."**

" **What do you mean….?" Makoto asked slowly.**

The implication were hit by some of the them. "Do you mean that….?" Hifumi trailed off, a little disbelief in his voice.

" **I was 14 years old when I first beat my father in a sparring match." Sakura answered. "After that, I never lost to my father again."**

 **Makoto's eyes widened in shock and realization. "Wait, then….!"**

" **Yes. I have already surpassed my father." Sakura confirmed his unasked question.**

Once again, that shocked several of them. "You surpassed your own father at 14?!" Hifumi squealed.

"That's fucking insane!" Mondo agreed.

"Amazing! No wonder you're the Ultimate Martial Artist!" Hina praised, looking at Sakura. "But how were you able to surpass him at such a young age?!"

Sakura smiled. "The same way you go in any path. Hard-work and commitment."

"But you must have had some natural talent to get this far." Sayaka pointed out.

Sakura smiled. "You're probably right. But I wouldn't be the Ultimate Martial Artist right now without the commitment I put into this."

Hina grinned. "Yep! You're definitely one of the strongest, Sakura! And I'm cheering for you to be number one!"

"Thank you, Hina." Sakura said, smiling. "I'm glad to hear that I have your support."

Byakuya, Kyoko, Celeste, and Mukuro, meanwhile, were more focused on something else. It wasn't missed to them that Sakura could've just said that she eventually beaten her father. It's clear that she's avoiding the topic of who is stronger than her.

" **I don't believe it…." Makoto muttered in disbelief.**

" **I'm not sure I did the right thing." She confessed. "My father also had the desire to become the strongest human alive. But I can't look back. I can only move forward and try to claim that title for myself. That is my destiny."**

 **She then straighten up. "Well, that's all for now. That was enjoyable. Goodbye." She said, leaving the room.**

' _ **Wait, hold on….'**_ **Makoto thought as she closed the door. "I never did find out who could possibly be stronger than her…."**

"Oh. That's right. We didn't." Chihiro said in realization.

"You were avoiding that line of conversation, were you?" Celeste pointed out, looking at Sakura.

The martial artist nodded. "Again, it is a personal matter that I would rather not indulge in right now."

"Sooo, I'm guessing the only ones who knows right now is donut girl and lucky boy?" Junko asked her. Again, Sakura nodded.

"Both of them are people I can trust with anything." Hina beamed at that while Makoto smiled bashfully.

' _ **Did she avoid talking about it on purpose….?'**_ **Deciding not to think about it for now, he left the locker room as the screen faded out.**

 **The next scene faded back in with Makoto eating lunch at the dining hall. "Hey, Makoto!" The luckster looked up to see Mondo right in front of him, at the other side of the table. "What's your ride?"**

" **Huh?" Makoto gain a confused look at the question. "My ride….?"**

" **Yeah, man! Your hog! Your chopper! Your motorcycle!" Mondo beamed.**

" **Oh, uh….I don't ride anything." The luckster admitted.**

 **Makoto's eyes widen at this. "What?! You're not a little kid anymore, right?! And you still don't have a hog?!" He let out a groan. "God, you're a fuckin' dweeb!"**

"Not every guy has a motorcycle, Mondo." Leon stated with an eye roll. "None of us guys here have a motorcycle, except for you."

"Not my fault you're missing out on something awesome." Mondo snorted.

" **Uh….sorry?" Makoto said hesitantly.**

" **Alright man, I'm gonna educate ya!" Mondo told him. "A real man rides Kawasaki, okay? That's what I ride."**

 **The biker then grin. "You outta see it, man. The v-twin's got that monster power, it's like you're dancin'. Course, it ain't just for anyone. You gotta have the skills to handle it!"**

"Yeah, it was definitely one impressive bike." Leon agreed. During their evaluations, they all got to see Mondo's motorcycle.

"And bro rides it very well!" Taka complimented with his usual passion.

Mondo grinned at that. "Thanks, bro."

" **You must really love your motorcycle…." Makoto commented on.**

" **Hell yeah I do!" Mondo exclaimed. "I'm a goddamn biker, ain't I? We're crazy as hell!"**

" **Yeah, you're the leader of the biggest biker gang in Japan, right?" Makoto inquired.**

" **Damn straight! The invincible Crazy Diamond gang!" Mondo stated with pride. "You wanna come ride with us? The monster sound comin' outta that straight pipe….Hot damn!"**

"Makoto? Riding with a biker gang?" Junko raised an eyebrow at that. "That would be quite the interesting sight."

"That is, if he can last more than ten seconds." Celeste giggled.

"Especially with his luck of his." Hifumi put in. That brought a chill in Makoto's spine, and a wave of worry amongst the others. Did they really have to point out his horrible luck of his?

 **Mondo let out a sigh. "Man, that makes me think back to when I first started riding. My big bro used to ride too, ya know. His name's Daiya."**

" **Daiya and Mondo - together we were the Diamond Brothers!" Again, his word was filled with pride. "Everyone up and down the country knew us! Course, I was always the cool one…."**

' _ **The Diamond Brothers?'**_ **Makoto repeated in his head.** ' _ **That sounds kinda….incredible.'**_

"Yeah, I agree. It really does sound incredible." Chihiro agreed. She turned to her biker friend. "Did you learn everything from your brother?"

Mondo smiled at that, though it was slightly sad. "Yeah, I did. Every trick and technique I know, was learned from him."

" **The first time I went out, I ended up at the back of the pack." Mondo continued. "Eventually the cops got on us, and they surrounded me. I was in some tough shit, man! So I pulled over, but when they came up to me….well, let's just say it was a massacre."**

"Mondo, you really shouldn't harm the police force!" Taka scolded his friend. "Nor you should do anything to earn the police's ire!"

"Hey, we weren't hurting anybody." Mondo held his hand up. "Just having some fun."

 **Makoto recoiled little at his choice of words. "A massacre….? Man, Mondo. You must really be strong…."**

" **Of course! You can't wave the banner for our gang without that kind of strength!" Mondo stated. "In a fight, they'll go for the leader first. Kill the leader of the pack, ya know? That's why the other gangs come after me."**

"That is true." Mukuro agreed. "In any battle, you would take out the leader if you're able to. Without someone in command, the remaining body will quickly succumb to confusion and disorganization. After that, it's easy pickings."

"Have you taken out any leaders, Mukuro?" Makoto asked curiously.

Mukuro nodded. "You could say that if I see an opportunity, I would immediately take it."

" **So if you wanna be the leader of the pack, you gotta be a tough motherfucker! You'll see what I mean when we go on our first ride. Get ready for it!"**

 **That got Makoto a little nervous. "Actually….maybe it's better if I don't get involved in that kinda thing. And like I said, I don't have a motorcycle. I don't even know how to drive one!"**

Kyoko, Sayaka, Mukuro, Celeste, and Hina silently agreed with their crush. None of them wanted to see Makoto riding with a gang and get into all sorts of troubles given his luck.

" **Then you can ride with me!"**

"Say what?" Hina cried in shock. "But, didn't you say that the other gangs target you the most?"

"Um, yeah, I think you did." Leon confirmed, looking at the biker.

Mondo rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, so? That would make it more fun."

' _Not for me!'_ Makoto thought in his head.

Sayaka unintentionally repeated his thoughts. "Not for him!"

' _ **Riding with Mondo….'**_ **That got Makoto nervous.** ' _ **But other gangs target him first, right?'**_ **Makoto shook his head. "No….nooo way…."**

 **But apparently, Mondo didn't hear him. "Hey! I said get ready for it!" Mondo then got up from his seat. "Damn, I am pumped! I can't wait to get outta here now!" With that, Mondo left in a good mood.**

"Look like Mr. Naegi doesn't have a choice in that matter."

"Not having a choice in the matter..." Mukuro repeated slowly, looking towards Mondo. "Perhaps we can have a discussion about that?"

"Agreed." Kyoko spoke, also staring at the biker coldly. As part of the law enforcement, she will not let Makoto be a part of any trouble. He's already been in enough.

Mondo isn't stupid enough to argue with those two, so he stayed quiet. But he let out a small huff of disappointment.

Makoto smiled sheepishly at this. "Um, thanks you two."

 **Makoto grew pale at the thought of riding with Mondo. "Crap….this is really bad…."** ' _ **Even if I get out of here, I might still be in trouble….'**_

"With that luck of yours, there's no doubt about it." Junko snorted. Makoto hung his head depressingly at that, there were more than a few times where he was caught in the middle of danger….but he quickly found a reply.

"Well, despite all the trouble I get into, I still make it out in one piece!" He pointed out, to which Junko ignored.

"That is interestingly true..." Celeste mused.

 **Trying to put his anxiety back, he finished up his lunch and left the dining hall. Shortly after, he ran into Taka once again in the hallway.**

" **Oh, hello Makoto." Taka greeted. "I was about to go to my room for a study session. Would you like to study with me, Makoto?"**

"Look like you're fulfilling you're promising to Makoto," Chihiro mused. "About inviting him to one of your study sessions, I mean."

"Glad to see I'm studying now!" Taka stated with a beaming smile.

"Yeah. Only you would be eager to do that." Leon stated with an eye roll.

" **Come to my room! If there's anything you don't understand, I'm a very attentive teacher!"**

" **Um….I don't think I need you to be all that attentive." Makoto replied with a sweatdrop. "But sure, you don't mind if I stop by?"**

" **Of course not!" Taka answered. "Okay, let's do it!" With that, the two went to Taka's room.**

 **The next scene showed Taka and Makoto in the former's room. As expected of the Ultimate Moral Compass, there's a collection of dictionaries and reference books, along with pieces of calligraphy and a pie chart on the wall. An iron board is set up in his room, as well as a practice kendo sword.**

 **The two are sitting at the coffee table, face to face. "Okay, next one." Taka stated. "What country first established 'zero' as a numerical concept?"**

 **Makoto frowned in thought. "It was….India, wasn't it?"**

" **Correct! Another question answered well!" Taka cheered.**

"Look like we have a timeskip here." Hifumi murmured.

"Thank you, captain obvious." Junko stated with an eye roll. "At least most of us got it."

"Most of us?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at the wording.

"It's hard to tell when Hiro gets anything."

"I'm not that dumb!" Hino whined.

Toko snickered at that. "A-At least you admitted it."

"Wai- that's not what I meant!"

" **Seeing you excited gets me excited! Let's stack our effort one on top of the other and show those self-centered genius jerks what for!"**

Byakuya and Celeste rolled their eyes at that while Celeste winced a little. "How very mature of you." Byakuya drawled.

"Look like the genius thing is still fresh in his head." Leon remarked.

"Well, it's not something you can forget about in just a few hours." Makoto said.

 **Makoto looked at Taka hesitantly. "Hey, um….Taka?"**

" **Yeah?"**

" **Well, I just noticed….you seem to really hate the idea of geniuses." Makoto approached carefully.**

" **Hmm," Taka had a little frown at that. "I guess that I feel like they're just….my sworn enemy, you know?"**

" **Huh….?" Makoto looked at him in confusion.**

" **But you hit the nail on the head. You're pretty sharp!" Taka complimented.**

"More like it's obvious, bro." Mondo stated with an eye roll. "Even if you're right about Makoto being sharp."

"But why does he hate geniuses so much?" Hina asked.

"It'll probably be explained on here." Mukuro told her.

" **But….why?" Makoto inquired.**

 **Taka balled his hands together at the table, his head lowered and the frown increased. "There's someone….someone I respected, someone I hate. Someone I have to surpass….because he was a genius."**

" **What….?"**

" **Toranosuke Ishimaru. Do you recognize that name?" Taka asked him. "He was my grandfather. He was once….Prime Minister of Japan."**

A few gasps of shock echoed the room. "Your grandpa was the Prime Minister?!" Hina exclaimed in shock.

"I suspected as much." The Togami heir stated, not really surprised. As soon as he heard Taka's last name, he had a feeling that the moral compass was related to the Prime Minister. Those who has also figured it out, or has been told already, wasn't surprised either.

Taka nodded. "Yes. My grandfather was the Prime Minister of Japan, Toranosuke Ishimaru."

" **He was your grandpa?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock.**

" **He went from Minister of Foreign Affairs to Chief Cabinet Secretary, and finally….Prime Minister." The Moral Compass listed off. "And all without any support network, and only a high school degree….! He was, simply, a genius. Everything he did, he did without any effort."**

"Wow." Hina said in awe. "You're grandpa sounds amazing, Taka."

"So why would you hate him for that?" Sayaka asked.

Byakuya was the one to answer. "Because he squandered that success." The heir stated crisply. "He fell from his position as fast as he got it."

Taka nodded in agreement. "As much as I hate to agree with him, Byakuya is correct."

" **He sounds like an amazing person." Makoto said in awe. "And he was your grandfather?"**

 **Taka nodded. "He was a genius. He'd never known failure. His success was unimaginable to a normal person. But because of that…."**

 **Taka's hands clenched tighter. "He allowed himself to be controlled by naive emotions, and got roped into a corruption scandal. He had no idea what the world of geniuses was really like. At least, that's how I see it.**

" **At that point, he fell just as fast as he had risen." Taka continued. "And it wasn't just in politics. The business world had no use for him anymore, and he plummeted. The debts he left behind torments my family to this day. He died a few years ago. By the end, he wasn't speaking to anyone."**

" **Despite his fame, his legacy….the only people who came to his funeral were family members." Tak concluded.**

The story of Taka's grandfather, of his downfall, along with the effects of it, shocked the group. "Damn, dude" Leon whistled. "It's no wonder you're pissed at him."

"And that what you meant when you said that you weren't even middle-class." Sakura observed. "Are those debts really that severe?"

Taka sighed. "Yes, they are." He said. "My family has yet to pay them all yet."

Chihiro frowned in sympathy for her friend, as did a few others.

" **That's hard to imagine…." Makoto admitted.**

" **Some consider this genius' fate a blessing. But I see it as a tragedy more than anything." Taka stated. "The tragedy of finding success without understanding the importance of effort. There's nothing worse than a genius who trips and falls. Just like my grandfather…."**

"And you think I would fall like your grandfather did?" Byakuya questioned with a frown. "As if."

"You say that now, but one stumble and you may end up like him!" Taka stated.

" _And he sure will!"_ Junko thought with a smile.

Sakura frowned a little. "I can understand why you would value hard-work, Taka," The Martial Artist stated. "However, not all geniuses are like your grandfather."

"Sakura got a point there, bro." Mondo agreed. "I mean, Chihiro here is a genius when it comes to programming, isn't she? That doesn't mean she's gonna end up in debt like your granddad."

Taka frowned at their words. It wasn't easy to just simply accept those words.

" **And that's why you hate the word 'genius'?"**

" **My grandfather serves as an important lesson why you must never be deceived by words like 'genius'." Taka said. "Relying on my effort, I will reach greater accomplishments than anything my grandfather ever did!"**

"But to do that, you'll need to respect those talented in their line of skill or work." Sakura lectured him. "'Geniuses' can work as hard as you can, as well but, you need to respect your rivals and enemies, in order to win."

Taka considered Sakura's words for a moment. He has to admit, considering his time with his classmates, Sakura's words hold some truth to them. But there are still those out there that holds those titles and doesn't value hard-work, aren't there?

"Look, just don't think on it too much, bro." Mondo said, seeing the confliction on his friend's face. "Just think about it later."

The Moral Compass sighed, reluctantly burying his thoughts. "Alright."

" **So we have to work hard to build a society where those who put in the most effort are properly rewarded!"**

" **I-I see…." Makoto looked down.** ' _ **I can agree with him, but Taka and I aren't the same. I can't reach for those kinds of big dreams….'**_

"Yeah, I feel the same way." Hina admitted, rubbing the back of her head. "That kind of dream seems way too big for me."

"Ditto." Mondo agreed.

" **But you know, Makoto….I'm really happy!" Taka stated, cheering up a bit. "I figured this school would be full of geniuses. I mean, I thought everyone would be my enemy. I never imagined I'd meet someone here who I could share my story with…."**

"How do you see us now?" Sayaka asked Taka curiously.

Taka responded with slight hesitation. "This is rather difficult to admit, but it's clear that I have made a misjudgment. Perhaps not everyone here are pure geniuses, and some of you had worked hard to get the titles you have... but this is a matter I'll have to figure out another day."

"Glad you start seeing us that way." Mondo stated.

" **I'm so lucky to have met you here! This kind of thing only happens once in a lifetime!" He gain back his usual demeanor. "I hope we can stay close, and combine our efforts to shape things the way we want!"**

" **Yeah, definitely…." Makoto agreed. With that, the two continue to study for a while.**

"So, we've been seeing Makoto talk to everyone for awhile now," Junko commented on, clearly a bit bored. "Do you think Monokuma will try and get us to become murder happy again?"

"I really hope not." Hina stated. "I'd rather watch us interact with each other."

"But this won't last forever." Byakuya sighed. "The bear seems to get bored easily, at least in the span of a few days."

"Can you not kill the mood?" Leon muttered. "Let's enjoy this while we can."

 **Right after, the screen turned black. A moment later, the school bell rung, and an image of Monokuma flared up. "Ahem! School announcement! S** **chool announcement! Nighttime is quickly approaching, but before it arrives…."**

" **All students, please gather in the gym immediately." The bear instructed. "Emergency! Emergency!" With that, the announcements ended.**

Immediately, dread filled the group. "You just had to jinx it, didn't you?" Hiro whined.

"Well shit!" Leon protested, pretending to flip a table by throwing his arms up.

"He wasn't going to stay silent for long." Kyoko sighed. "It was only a matter of time until he tries to get us to kill each other again."

"But what is this emergency he's talking about?" Taka inquired.

"Guess we'll find out." Mukuro said.

 **The camera went to Makoto's room, with the luckster sitting on the bed and looking at the monitor suspiciously. "Gather in the gym….?" He murmured to himself. "Why now all of a sudden?" He frowned.** ' _ **I really don't like the sound of this. I have a bad feeling about this….'**_

"As do we all, Makoto," Sakura spoke in. "Anything coming from the bear is hardly ever pleasant."

"N-No argument there." Toko agreed.

"Let just be mentally prepared for what the bear has in store for us." Byakuya stated. Then he sighed. "And I do mean, anything. I haven't forgotten the last gym gathering."

Several sweatdropped in remembrance of the beginning of chapter 2. Some were kinda hoping something like that would happen, but they all knew it would be something bad….

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter, despite it being shorter than usual. Next, we'll be going back to the main plot. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: I finally got V3! Time to join in all the memes and despair! ... Next week...(It was quite despairing browsing through the Dangan reddit when every other thread is tagged V3 Spoilers -_-)**


	33. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P9

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here, we're getting right into the plot, plus one more freetime event. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Nothing much to respond to this time, so let's jump right into the story! The plot moves forward!**

Chapter 32: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 9

 **"Hmm….asking us to gather together all of a sudden like this," Taka mused as he stood vigilantly in the gym. Everyone else around him had their own looks of fear, suspicion, and vigilance. "What could he possibly want?"**

" **Indeed. What might await us this time?" Celeste questioned.**

"I don't even want to know." Sayaka complained.

"And yet, we have to watch." Byakuya sighed.

 **Byakuya let out a small chuckle. "He keeps things interesting, that's for certain."**

"Is he actually laughing?" Leon questioned in disbelief. "I mean I know we talked about this but uggh!"

"He's seriously messed up right now!" Hina exclaimed.

Byakuya gritted his teeth, at the reminder of his future self's attitude.

" **How is that funny?" Hifumi questioned in slight disbelief. "Can't you smile like a normal person once in awhile? Like how the housewife on a classic TV show smiles at the end of an episode?"**

Junko snorted. "He could! Once he gets that stick out his ass!"

"There's no way! It's lodged in there!" Leon remarked. "Not even Makoto could get that out of him!"

"And it's impossible to stick a brain into that empty head of yours, no matter how hard someone tries." Byakuya retorted.

" **There's something totally messed up with you if you can laugh at a time like this!"**

 **Byakuya raised an eyebrow at this. "Which of us is actually 'messed up', hmm?"**

 **That startled Hina a bit. "Wh-What's that supposed to mean…."**

" **Nothing in particular. Just admiring, that's all…." The heir stated. "I don't want to kill anyone. But I also don't want to stay here, living in blind denial day after day. I was just admiring how you could live like that and still keep your sanity."**

Hina growled at this. "Denial?!"

"Are you trying to make everyone your enemy?" Kyoko questioned, looking at the heir. "Because you're making yourself a target."

"No kiddin'." Mondo snorted. Byakuya chose not to speak right now.

 **Hina gritted her teeth at this. "I'm not in denial…."**

" **That reminds me. Remember how you kept rambling about how the police would come to help us?" He asked rhetorically. "How did that turn out? It seems to me there's no sign whatsoever of possible rescue."**

Makoto's eyes widened as he remembered. "Now that he mentioned it…."

"Yeah! Where the heck is the police?" Hiro questioned. "Shouldn't they be rescuing us by now?"

"It's been nearly a week since we got trapped there." Taka mused. "People are bound to notice us missing."

"But we don't know if they know, that we're trapped in Hope's Peak." Celeste pointed out. "Hope Peak has been closed down, remember?"

" **Th-That's just…." Hina began growing pale. "I wonder what actually happened."**

" **It's strange, that's true." Kyoko agreed. "There's no way the police wouldn't know about it. We're right in the middle of a major urban area."**

"Kyoko has a point." Makoto stated. "Since Hope's Peak is at a major urban area, the people should've noticed something strange about the school."

"Pretty hard to miss too, with all the metal plates and what not." Mondo commented.

"But all that we have is theories right now." Byakuya stated. "For all we know, none of them are right."

"True. We don't have a base for anything right now." Kyoko admitted with a hint of resignation. "The only thing we know for certain is that our memories are erased, Hope's Peak has been closed down, and that we are in Hope's Peak."

" **The police sucks!" Hifumi declared.** (To which caused an eye twitch from the detective.)

" **On the contrary, the mastermind may just be that powerful, to take control of even the police…." Celeste retorted.**

" **Oh!" Hiro gasped in remembrance. "This might not be related, but-"**

" **Then don't say it." Toko interrupted.**

" **Nope, gonna say it!" Hiro stated back.**

Toko sighed. "G-Great. What idiotic comment is gonna come out now?"

"It's not gonna be idiotic! It'll be important, I just know it!" Hiro exclaimed.

" **It's about last night. I was near the main hall, just staring off into space." Hiro began. "When all of a sudden….I heard it."**

" **You heard what?" Chihiro asked curiously.**

" **A sound that…." Hiro frown in thought. "I don't really know what it was…."**

" **Wh-What kind of sound?" Taka inquired.**

" **Well like I said, I don't really know." The fortune teller repeated. "But if I had to describe it….it was like….a construction site, I guess?"**

" **A construction site….?" Makoto repeated in confusion.**

"Yeah, a construction site?" Hina repeated in confusion.

"Well, that would open up to multiple possibilities." Byakuya mused. "If Hiro's words are credible."

"For all we know, the dude may have just imagined it." Mondo agreed.

" **I mean, I could just making that up. I only just barely heard anything…." Hiro told them.**

"See? What'd I tell you?"

"Still, it's something we should keep in mind." Kyoko said. "In case we find something that coincides with what Hiro said."

"Yes. With any mystery anime, the seemingly most unimportant detail could become very important." Hifumi stated.

"Chekhov's gun, a writing principle stating that every element in a story must be significant in some way and those that aren't should be removed." Toko cited, before realizing that everyone was looking at her. "W-What?"

"N-Nothing. It's just... new.. to see you speak without the stutter." Makoto commented, causing Toko to look away in embarrassment.

"S-Shut up and f-focus!"

" **Then you d-definitely made it up." Toko stated cynically. "M-Must've just been the sound of the ocean in th-that head of yours…."**

"You have the weirdest insults sometime, Toko." Hina sweatdropped with a few nods of agreement around her.

 **Then, a familiar, annoying voice popped in. "Say what?! Whatchoo talkin' about, Toko?!" As everyone turning towards the platform, the scene changed.**

 **The camera lowered from the ceiling to behind the remaining Ultimates. When the camera was right behind them, it zoomed in to the podium and once again, Monokuma appeared on it.**

 **Kyoko was the first to speak. "He's arrived…."**

" **What Hiro heard was the sound of construction…." Monokuma informed them. "But it could've been an explosion!"**

That got several blinking in shock. "Huh? An explosion?" Makoto repeated slowly.

"He's joking, right?" Hiro asked nervously.

"With this bear? Who could say?" Junko said.

 **That caught the group by surprise.**

 **"Huh….?" Was the only response Makoto could manage.**

" **Or maybe a machine gun!" The bear let out his signature laugh. "That can kinda sound like construction in a way!"**

" **What are you talking about….?"**

Kyoko frowned. "If he's not lying, then what Hiro heard is probably something important."

"What do you mean?" Sakura inquired.

Makoto spoke up then. "Do you think a fight is happening outside?" Kyoko nodded.

"If I'm right, then there's a basis for one of my theories." The detective explained. "Given that the school seems to have been reinforced with a variety of barricades and automated defenses, we can only assume that the exterior is like that as well. It's likely that we haven't been abandoned but instead that there are people, most likely the police, that are trying to break through."

"And I'm guessing they made ways for the entire school building to be nearly soundproof, since Hiro could barely here it." Celeste mused. "So who knows how long the people out there was trying to get us out? Or how many that have died trying?"

That got more than a few nervous gulps. None of them wanted to think about it.

"It's still a theory as of now so I can't confirm anything. Lets keep watching." Kyoko said, taking their minds off the gruesome thought.

" **Ah-ah-ah! Beyond this point my mouth is zipped, my lips are sealed, I am fully puckered!" Monokuma declared. "It's a secret little secret!"**

"Look like we won't get any more information from the bear." Byakuya sighed.

"You think its doing this on purpose?" Hina asked.

"Regardless, a little information is better than no information!" Taka exclaimed.

" **Fine, then let's move on to what you can tell us." Kyoko said, getting to the main reason. "Why did you call us here?"**

" **You don't beat around the the ol'bush do ya?!" Monokuma rhetorically asked. "Ready for me to get to the point, huh? But before that, you don't mind if I vent a little?"**

"Do we have a choice?" Leon remarked.

"My guess is no." Junko chimed in.

" **I'm low on energy these days. My stitching is even losing all its shine and luster," Monokuma said depressingly. "I'm thinking, it's probably become of this ho-hum, boring old everyday life. I'm looking for something with a little more stimulation, something ripe with danger and intrigue!"**

"Then how about joining the fucking army?" Mondo suggested. "That should stimulate you enough, you psycho bear!"

' _No thanks. That's Mukuro shtick, not mine!'_ Junko denied.

" **Listen, can I be frank?" Monokuma asked. "The next blackened hasn't shown up yet, and I'm getting booooored! So, I've decided to come up with a new to motivate you!"**

That had several of them stiffen in fear. "M-Motivate?!" Hina exclaimed.

"Does he have more of those videos?" Chihiro questioned, shaking a little.

"I really fucking hope not." Mondo stated, clenching his fist.

" **M-Motivate….?!" Makoto exclaimed in trepidation. "Is it another set of videos or something….?" The memory of his home being a wreck flashed into his mind. "Are you gonna show us some demented thing to try and drive us all to murder?!"**

" **Drive you to murder?!" Monokuma repeated in outrage. "What a mean thing to say! That's just awful!"**

"It's what you did!" Sayaka shouted in anger, and slight guilt. "You showed us something to drive us into murder, you psychotic monster!"

"Sayaka…." Makoto clasped his hand onto Sayaka's, with her returning the grip. Though she didn't spew out anymore words, the angry look on her face did all the speaking for her.

" **I don't know what you've got planned, but we're not going to kill each other!" Taka stated confidently. "No matter what you do, I swear to God we won't!"**

"Yes! We will definitely not kill anyone!" Taka agreed with his counterpart.

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "Merely wishful thinking. We all know good and well that another killing is bound to happen."

"You know, it couldn't hurt to be a bit more optimistic." Hina said with a frown.

"I'm only being realistic." Byakuya remarked, rolling his eyes. If killings didn't happen in this future killing game, there would be no need for any of them to be here.

" **Hmm. That's very big talk. Do your very best to back it up, okay?" The bear then went back to the subject at hand. "Now then, with your permission, let me begin!"**

Chihiro wrapped her arms around herself in fear. "What is it going to do now?"

"Whatever it is, we should brace ourselves." Sakura advised, also tense.

" **So, this time it's….embarrassing memories and secrets!" He revealed. "As long as you're alive, it's a given that there's things you don't want other people to know about you! So I did a little investigating of my own, and I dug up some of your darkest secrets!"**

That had everyone stiffened up. "O-Our darkest secrets?" Toko repeated. "Y-You don't t-think he's serious, do you?"

"If they aren't our darkest, I doubt he would've used them as motives." Celeste said with a frown. "But how will he use them, I wonder?"

"I have an idea of what he's gonna do with them." Kyoko said.

"So do I." Makoto spoke in with a anxious frown. "And I don't like it."

 **Monokuma then showed several envelopes in his hands. "And those embarrassing memories and secrets are all contained in the envelopes I have right here. I'm going to hand them out now, so take a second to take a peek!" After that, Monokuma toss each of them toward the feets of their respective owners. Makoto quickly got his off the ground.**

Subconsciously, everyone leaned in a bit closer to the screen in anticipation of Makoto's secret. Considering that Makoto is such an open book, and doesn't seem to have anything like that, they can't help but be curious about what he got hidden.

The boy in question went a bit rigid, wondering what secret does Monokuma that would make him want to kill. As he recall, he doesn't have anything big, does he?

 **Nervously, he pulled out what was on there. When he read what was one there, his entire body went rigid.**

 **The note says, "Makoto wet the bed until he was in 5th grade."**

The initial moment of dread was replaced by a small moment of silence before a couple of students bursted out laughing. "You wet the bed until 5th grade?" Leon laughed out.

"Seems like his secret is normal as well." Junko snorted, though she's slightly peeved that there isn't any good dirt on him.

Sayaka giggled and, along with Kyoko, shuffled a bit away from him, prompting him to pout. "Hey c'mon, it's a normal thing! I swear!" He tried to defend himself, but only receiving more laughter.

"I don't know what to think," He sighed. "Should I feel embarrassed that my secret got revealed…..or weirded out that Monokuma thought I would kill someone over that?"

"He probably couldn't find anything else about you." Mukuro said with a shrug.

" **What….?!" Makoto exclaimed.**

" **H-How….?" Hina stuttered in shock.**

" **How'd you find out about this?!" Taka questioned in panic. And just like that, everybody started panicking at once.**

The continuation of the video put a hard stop on any more laughter from happening, bringing everyone back to reality. "This isn't the time for laughter." Byakuya said crisply. "After all, the mastermind knows all our darkest secrets."

"Wh-What does he plan to do with them?" Chihiro stuttered in slight fear.

Celeste gripped the armrests. "I think we all have an idea as to what."

 **Monokuma spoke up from all the panicked talking. "You have 24 hours! If someone doesn't become blackened by then….all your deepest, darkest, most embarrassingest secrets will be exposed to the world! Maybe I'll roll by a crowded intersection in a van strapped with loudspeakers and spill the beans!"**

Chihiro's eyes widen dramatically and went pale as a sheet. "H-He's gonna reveal our secrets to the world?!"

Some of the others, such as Mondo, Toko, and Celeste, didn't feel so well either, though the more stoic ones manage to hide their emotions.

"I don't know if I should feel good for not being there." Leon admitted, not looking well. "On one hand, it saves me from dealing with this, on the other hand….well, I'm dead."

"Trust me, I know how you feel." Sayaka agreed, feeling as bad and conflicted as Leon, if not more so. After all, she did start chapter 1, but since she's dead, she doesn't have to worry about doing it again. A strange and uncomfortable thought, for sure.

Meanwhile, Junko is swimming in mental bliss. She could never get enough of the panic and terror and despair from her classmate's faces, especially poor little Chihiro's. She can imagine the despair the future Chihiro is feeling right now!

 **He let out a fake embarrassed scream. "Wouldn't that be so embarrassing?!"**

 **Makoto was silent for a moment. Then, he spoke. "So that's what you meant by 'motivate'?"**

" **Yup, you got it!" Monokuma confirmed. "They're all pretty unpleasant, trust me. None of you want me to reveal that stuff, right?"**

" **It's definitely something I'd rather people not know," Makoto admitted. "But….we'd never kill over something like that!"**

 **That shocked the bear. "Wh-What'd you say?!"**

" **He's right!" Taka immediately agreed with. "Your plan is doomed to fail! No one's gonna murder someone for this kind of thing!"**

"Agreed, future me and Makoto!" Taka said with the same passion. "There's no one who would kill over embarrassing secrets!"

"Yeah! There's no way I would kill somebody over mine!" Hina agreed.

Some of the others, however, couldn't bring themselves to agree with them. Kyoko, Celeste, and Byakuya know full well that everyone have different secrets, and that each secret isn't at the same level as the others.

Junko also knew this as well. And that there are certain secrets people would really kill over, such as Toko being Genocide Jack or Chihiro actually being a boy.

" **O-Oh, no…." Monokuma moaned in disappointment. "Is it because….for better or worse, your memory is still a way to connect to the outside world? I have stuff I wouldn't want anyone to know no matter what, so I assumed you'd all be the same. Which is why I put so much effort into preparing this next motive!"**

 **Monokuma turned away from them. "Maaan! You're saying you really won't kill each other over this stuff? That just sucks!" The bear let out a sigh, almost looking convincingly depressed. "Well, what can you do? Okay, then in just 24 hours, I'll expose all your secrets just to make myself feel a little bit better! So sad, so depressed! Farenotwell…..!" With that, Monokuma left the gym.**

Mondo clenched his teeth, thinking about the circumstances of his brother's death. If the gang finds out that it was because of him, everything they worked for will crumble. Will his other try to stop that from happening? Would he….kill?

' _No. No, I'm strong!'_ Mondo thought, shaking his head. He wouldn't let this shake him. He wouldn't let this result in him killing somebody! He's strong enough to handle this!

Though inside….he knows what he's afraid of that happening. Afraid of that possibility.

Chihiro, meanwhile, is shaking, her arms wrapped around herself. What would happen if her secret got revealed to the world? How would people look at her? A pervert? A cross-dressing freak? Just the thought of her secret getting revealed terrifies her. She can't imagine how her future self is feeling right now.

 **Hina was the first to speak up. "I didn't know what to expect at first, but….maybe we dodged a bullet on this one." The swimmer stated. "I mean yeah, having those secrets revealed is gonna be totally embarrassing. But that's seriously not enough to give someone a reason to kill, right?"**

"Definitely not!" Hina agreed with her other. "Like I said before, I wouldn't kill somebody over mine! I doubt anyone else would!"

"I would have to disagree." That comment came from none other than Byakuya. "There are people who could, and probably will, kill to keep their secret to the grave."

That shocked the others. "How can you say that Byakuya?" Taka demanded. "Why would anyone kill over something as petty as embarrassing secrets?"

"Do not hold your secret in the same pedestal as everyone else's." Byakuya chided. "You cannot judge someone else's values based on your outlook. Some secrets may be darker than you realize."

"And what makes you say that?!" Hina demanded.

"Genocide Jack." That shut them all up quickly.

Makoto bit his lip. He can't help but admit that Byakuya has a point. After all, the whole class knows about Genocide Jack, and he is one of the few that knows that Chihiro is a boy. If those two are hiding those kinds of secrets, what does everyone else have?

" **Good news, everyone! I have a brilliant idea!" Taka told everyone. "Why don't we all just confess the secrets in those envelopes right here and now?! If we do that, any and all motive for murder will vanish! That's pretty smart, right?!"**

"Yeeaaah, that's not gonna work." Leon deadpanned.

Taka turned his head towards the baseball player. "Why not? How can you be so sure?"

"Again, Genocide Jack." Byakuya emphasized, causing Toko to shudder a bit.

" **Okay, so my embarrassing thing is…."**

 **Toko interrupted him. "I d-don't want to hear your stupid s-story!"**

" **What?!" Taka exclaimed.**

" **Besides, I don't….I don't w-want to talk about it…." Toko stated. "I don't c-care what anyone says, I don't want to talk about it!"**

" **Neither do I." Celeste spoke up. "Not because it is unpleasant, but because it is impossible."**

"Aren't you being a bit dramatic?" Hiro asked her.

Celeste shook her head. "No, I am not. It is impossible for me to reveal."

' _That's definitely a lie there.'_ Makoto thought with a mental eye roll. He has a feeling that her secret is her real name.

" **Well, it's just human to wanna hear it when you say it's impossible!" Hifumi stated in interest. "C'mon, it'll be good for ya!"**

" **Absolutely not." Celeste denied.**

" **It's okay, just a little bit." Hifumi insisted. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon….!"**

"Aren't you a bit too interested, Hifumi?" Hina asked, a bit creeped out.

She wasn't the only one. "What the hell do you think she's hiding?"

"Who knows?" Hifumi said, a bit persasive. "Miss Ludenberg may be hiding something very jui-"

"Hifumi, if you value your life, I suggest you be quiet." Celeste said with a tight smile, trying to reign in her temper.

" **As I said-"**

" **C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"**

 **Finally, Celeste snapped. "I said I don't wanna talk about it, you big tub of lard!" That had Hifumi screaming and backing away in terror.**

A few jumped, but overall, no one was surprised by this. Hifumi really shouldn't have insisted on it.

 **Byakuya then spoke up. "I agree with them. There's no need to discuss it."**

 **Taka then turned to Chihiro. "What do you think, Chihiro?"**

" **Um….s-sorry, I don't really want to talk about it right now." Chihiro said, looking down.**

The present Chihiro also looked down. Of course, it's not surprising that she doesn't want to reveal her own secret. She was too weak to do that.

" **But I don't want to leave things the way are. So maybe I can talk about it later…." She took a breath. "After I try my best….to become strong….then I can tell everyone."**

Then, her head shot up in shock. Did she hear that correctly? Is her future self….actually willing to tell her secret? Makoto, Mondo, and Junko was also surprised by this.

Chihiro ran through her thoughts again and again, asking question after question about her own secret. She couldn't let the world know that she's actually a boy, the consequences would be completely unbearable. It would ruin her life. So then, why was she willing to reveal it?

" **If you don't wanna talk about it, you don't have to." Hina reassured. "I'm not super excited to talk about it, either…."**

 **Mondo let out a sigh. "If everyone's that much against it….even if my bro's the one that suggested it, I gotta say no."**

" **W-Well, that's okay, then." Taka relented. "Either way, it's just a few secrets, I'm sure nobody's about to kill anybody over it."**

' _ **I hope you're right….'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **A secret so bad you'd kill someone to keep it….nobody's got something like that, right?'**_

"I would like to think not," Sakura said, closing her eyes. "But…."

"Considering what Toko's secret is, there are probably a few of us who have bad secrets." Kyoko said. "Otherwise, Monokuma wouldn't be so confident about it being a motive."

"But you saw him be surprised that none of us would kill for it, right?" Hina reminder her.

Mukuro answered that. "He's probably faking that." That earned a few gulps, and a look of approval from Junko as she soaked in the fear from everyone.

Makoto bit his lip. Like his future self, he hoped that none of his friends have secrets they would kill someone over. But, in the back of his mind, he knew more than a couple that would definitely do it.

" **Okay, I'll stop with the secret talk. But…." Taka said nervously. "Each of us has 24 hours to get ready! Having our secrets exposed isn't going to be fun, but it's not like we're gonna die cuz of it! So, you know, um….don't do anything, hasty?"**

"T-That only gonna make us worry m-more, idiot." Toko hissed. "S-Stop repeating it."

Taka bowed his heads. "My apologies!"

" **The way you keep repeating it kinda makes me worry even more…." Hifumi told him nervously.**

" **Oh….." The moral compass simply said. "Uh, okay, sorry." After a few more words from the group, the class left the room.**

 **Soon, all of them got back to their room. As Makoto got closer to his own room, he was stopped by someone grabbing the sleeve of his jacket. He turned to see Chihiro behind him. "Chihiro, is something wrong?" Makoto asked in concern.**

" **No," Chihiro shook her head. "It's just….I know that we talked earlier, but can we talk about you tonight?"**

 **Makoto rubbed the back of his head. "Um, sure, I don't mind at all."**

" **Really?" A smile lit up her face. "Great! Let's go to my room then!" Before the luckster could say anything, the programmer pulled him to her room.**

In a span of minutes, the mood in the room slowly lightened up at the change of pace. The girls in particular, smiled fondly at seeing the two interact. "It's always nice seeing our two cinnamon rolls talk with each other." Sayaka sighed.

"No doubt there." Hina said in agreement. Said 'cinnamon rolls' blushed at the compliments.

But Chihiro focused her gaze at her counterpart. Is she really not affected at the fact that her secret will get exposed in 24 hours? What's going through her thoughts right now? She tried to simulate her future self in her mind, but she still can't come to a conclusion.

 **The scene switched to the two of them sitting on Chihiro's bed. "Okay, let's go! I wanna hear all about you!" Chihiro said eagerly.**

" **I'm happy to talk, but what do you want to know?" Makoto asked.**

" **Well, let's start with a question." Chihiro said, thinking for a moment. "What do you like to do in your spare time?"**

" **Well, you know," Makoto began, a bit sheepishly. "I watch TV, play video games, lay around….that's pretty much it."**

" **Huh?" Chihiro looked surprised at this. "What about sports?"**

" **Oh, I don't really play anything." Makoto said sheepishly. "The only time I run anywhere is during gym, or when I'm running late in the morning…."**

" **Really? And you're still so strong?"**

Junko snorted. "Did you not see Makoto getting sucker punched by Mondo?"

"Yeah. Makoto's is pretty weak out of all of us." Hiro mentioned. Makoto glowered at the fortune teller for that comment.

"Like you're any stronger!" Hina huffed.

 **That took the luckster off-guard a bit. "Strong? Me?" Makoto shook his head. "N-No, I'm pretty much on the bottom of masculinity!"**

" **You're on….the bottom rung?" Chihiro asked slowly. "Oh…." The programmer gained a disappointed look.**

"What gave you the impression that I was strong?" Makoto asked the programmer.

Chihiro looked away sheepishly. "I don't know, it just….you just seemed to be strong. I thought the way you held yourself is strong."

"Perhaps you're seeing Makoto's mental strength, rather than his physical one." Kyoko suggested. "After all, from what we've seen here, Makoto is incredibly strong, mentally."

That got a sheepish chuckled and blush from the luckster. "I don't really know about that."

"It's true," Sayaka agreed with Kyoko. "Even after the deaths of me, Mukuro, and Leon, as well as the fact that….that I betrayed you, you still held strong."

"Not to mention the intention to carry the weight of their deaths." Mukuro added in. "Only those with clear mental strength could do something like that." The blush on Makoto's face grew bigger.

" **Hey, what's the matter?" Makoto asked in concern.**

" **Well, it's just….I'm looking for someone strong." Chihiro told him.**

" **Someone strong?" Makoto repeated. "Well, what about Sakura….?"**

" **...No, I mean a guy." Chihiro corrected.**

"A guy….?" A perverted glint entered Hifumi's eyes. "Miss Fujisaki, do you have an interest in strong guys? Are you….attracted to them?"

That caused Chihiro's eyes to widen and to shake her head rapidly. "N-No, it isn't like that!"

"Now, now, no need to be-" Before he could finish, a baseball once again hit Hifumi in the head. "Ow!"

"You really like getting hit with these baseballs, don't you?" Leon commented casually, his eyes hinting to the huge sack of baseballs below his arm rest. Chihiro gave Leon a grateful smile, which he responds with a low thumbs up.

" **Then what about Mondo?" Makoto suggested. "He's the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, right? He's gotta be the strongest guy here."**

" **Mondo…." Chihiro thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, that's it!"**

" **But why are you looking for a strong guy?" Makoto inquired. That got Chihiro silent.**

"Yeah, I'm curious to," Hina spoke in. "I mean, why not Sakura or even Mukuro?"

"Well, because, I….." Chihiro, like her future counterpart, ended up silent.

Seeing the conflicted look on her face, Hina backpedaled. "You have tell me if you don't want to, Chihiro. I won't push you for an answer." That earned a sigh of relief from the programmer.

' _ **She went silent again….'**_ **Makoto noticed.** ' _ **Is she, like….into tough guys or something?'**_

 **After a moment of silence, she began speaking. "I want to….start training." She admitted. "I'm so weak….**

" **...Huh?"**

" **I thought if I could talk to someone strong about it, it might help motivate me." Chihiro explained.**

"And you think Mondo, or any other tough guy, would help with that?" Junko asked.

Chihiro nodded, looking down. "I-I don't mean to offend anyone, but…."

"It's alright, Chihiro, I'm not offended." Sakura reassured. While she's curious as to why Chihiro would seek a strong man for advice rather than her own gender, she took no offence from her words.

" **So that's why, huh?" The luckster said in understanding. "Sorry, I wish I could help somehow…."**

 **The two was silent for a moment. Then, Chihiro spoke up. "Hey Makoto….? Do you have any kind of, um….inferiority complex?"**

" **Inferiority complex…..?"**

" **You know, some part of you that you can't stand. Something you absolutely hate…." The programmer explained.**

 **Makoto looked up at the ceiling. "Well, I guess so…." He answered. "For me, it's how forgettably ordinary I am. I've been made painfully aware of this part of me ever since I came here. The rest of you all have your ultimate abilities, but I don't have any kind of talent at all."**

That had the group looking at the luckster himself. Said luckster looked away from them, feeling a bit embarrassed that his own insecurities were let out.

"Hey Makoto," Hina called out softly in concern. "Do you really feel that way?"

After a moment, Makoto spoke up. "Well, sometimes yeah. I mean, even though I forget about this sometimes when I talk to you guys, all of you have such amazing talents." He told them all. "Every one of you excel in your field. But me….other than my optimism, I'm just a normal guy lucky enough to be picked to go to Hope's Peak. And even then, it was quite the misfortune that got me into here."

The others looked at him in surprise. Though they had became great friends with him, they had no idea that Makoto had that kind of insecurity within him. One of the few who wasn't shocked by his confession was Chihiro, who have spent the time learning about the luckster.

Celeste looked away, gripping the arms of the chair she's on. His words, his insecurities….they hit close to home, more than she would like to admit. Any empathy she's feeling on the subject, she tried to push it down in her mind.

Makoto sighed. "I know, it must be pretty stupid compared to the problems you guys have, but it's something I can't help feeling that."

"No," Sayaka latched onto his arm, which got the luckster blushing. "No, it's not stupid at all."

"We all got our insecurities, Makoto," Kyoko, meanwhile, grabbed his other hand with her gloved hand. "There's no need to feel embarrassed about it." Several of the others voiced their agreement to this.

"Yeah man, it's not that big of a problem." Leon commented with a thumbs up.

"You may see yourself as inferior, but at the end of the day, we're all still part of Class 78." Mukuro added, prompting a look of disapproval from Junko.

Makoto's cheeks went a bit redder. "Th-Thanks."

" **And….how do you overcome those feelings?" Chihiro inquired.**

" **I'm not sure I can…." Makoto admitted. "That's why I just decided to accept it. It's how I feel, and there's nothing I can do about it. And if I find myself thinking about it too much, I just find something else to do with my time. If I throw myself into something hard enough, I can forget about it for a little while."**

" **Throw myself into something…." Chihiro pondered those words. "I see. That's a good idea. If I don't do something, nothing's ever going to change." A bright smile entered Chihiro's lips once again. "Yeah, I think your advice has helped me understand!"**

' _ **Advice?'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **I'm not sure if it was anything like that….'**_

' _It still doesn't feel like it.'_ Makoto thought. But he's glad it helped Chihiro, especially since he knew the programmer's secret.

 **Chihiro giggled. "Thanks, Makoto!"**

 **Makoto smiled.** ' _ **Well, if it helped, that's good enough for me.'**_

"Yeah, it helped a lot." Chihiro reassured. "Thanks a lot, Makoto."

Makoto smiled and shrugged. "It' no problem. Glad I could help, somewhat."

Mukuro then pointed out something. "It seems you and Chihiro aren't really affected by the thought of your secrets being revealed."

Makoto chuckled sheepishly once again. "Well, my secret, while embarrassing, isn't really something I would kill somebody about."

"True enough," Byakuya agreed. He doubted anyone would kill over such a mundane secret. He then turned to Chihiro. "But what about you, Chihiro? Is your secret is as boring as Makoto's?"

"Um…." Chihiro looked away. "It's something I want to try to keep secret, as much as possible. Still, even with that, I wouldn't want to kill anybody." Which makes her future self's reaction that much more surprising. Instead of crying, feeling terrified, or letting anxiety eat her up alive….she doesn't do any of those thing. She ran through several simulations in her head, but without that one piece of information, it just doesn't make sense that she's thinking about revealing her secret.

 **As they talked more, narrator Makoto spoke up. "Secrets or memories you don't want anyone to know….a way to connect to the outside world," He began. "Honestly, the things Monokuma said didn't have an effect on me. There's no way anyone would kill over stuff like that. At least, that's what I thought…."**

 **As he spoke, once the nighttime announcement played, the Makoto on-screen left Chihiro's room and went back to his. "But maybe I was just being optimistic. Which is probably why, without too much of a struggle…."**

 **Once he got into his room, Makoto got onto his bed. "Geez, I'm more tired than usual. Super tired today….."**

 **As he closed his eyes, the narrator Makoto spoke. "...I fell asleep." The screen then went back. "But what I didn't know is that even then….a tragedy was taking place."**

That had everyone stiffening. "A-A tragedy….?" Hina stuttered out.

"Makoto, you're joking, right?" Hiro asked nervously.

"Do you really think Makoto's the type to joke about crap like that?" Junko asked rhetorically.

Makoto gripped his legs. What are they about to see? Who….who's gonna die next?

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys like this chapter. Next stop, the deadly life. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.** **I will see you guys later.**


	34. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P10

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here we are, with another slightly longer than usual chapter. Had to think carefully on the appropriate reactions for this, if you want to know why I took long. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Review Reply time! So I apologize if some of your reviews haven't been answered, but that's because I have left my filter to the latest chapter only so any reviews on previous chapters, were ignored. So now, I have dug through the masses of reviews to go back to some of the forgotten questions and what not so this section will be a bit bigger than usual (Only back until Late October/Early November though). If you still had something I had missed and you want answered in the next chapter, please review again under the latest chapter so I'll be sure to not miss it! Sorry guys! - Lucky Soldier**

 **Q: Bang Rowdyruff, Mukuro's relationship with Junko:  
L: I'm thoroughly convinced that in the real timeline, Mukuro was already brainwashed in some sense to do everything Junko wants her to do. That coupled with her feeling of responsibility of an older sibling, and their harsh childhood is what molded Mukuro into the poorly portrayed character she was in the anime (I don't like the portrayal, ): ). So everytime Junko tries to kill Mukuro, Mukuro sees it as she's giving her attention and acknowledging her. After all, any attention is better than no attention considering Junko and maybe Matsuda were the only people close to Mukuro at all. (Then I'd go on about how Makoto begins to undo that brainwashing but... I'll keep this short :P )  
**

 **Q: wwest1, Hifumi's FTE with Makoto's magical girl harem  
L: While I personally don't support harems since it's really hard to make all the interactions meaningful, I can imagine that in this story it'll stir up quite a few shits and giggles. I wonder if Spirit will be up for that :P  
S: Maybe. It'll probably depend on the number of fte I'm willing to do during chapter 3, and which ones I want to do.**

 **Q: LolaRose, Does everyone know Celeste's real name?  
L: In this universe, I would say no due to time constraints. In the cannon universe, I would say yes. That's because in DR:IF, when Makoto wakes up, he convinces Sakura to believe him by saying that she once told everyone about Kenshiro. Deriving from that, I like to think that given the extremes Danganronpa has gone too, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone else knew each other inside out due to bonding. After all, the class photos prove it and how else realistically would Hifumi actually know her real name? :P  
S: Yeah, I agree with Lucky. And Celeste is too careful with her secrets for them to be found out by accident. **

**Q: ronin warriors fanatic, is it unfair that Junko knows more about the 'behind-the-scenes' stuff involving the killing game?  
L: I feel like I answered this one before, but I'm not going to dig through the other chapters to double check :P.  
She is the mastermind, so I wouldn't say it's unfair. If anything, it's actually stacked against her since the killing game technically doesn't happen, and her plans are being revealed to everyone. However, whether she calls that a win or not due to despair is up to her :)  
S: Again, I agree with that. Since she had plan to bring despair to the whole world for some time, it would make sense to know some of the details of her own plan.**

 **Q: D, will Sayaka and Leon talk to each other about what happened? They seem to be avoiding it (Chapter 24)  
L: I'm a little late to this one, but they definitely talked it out and moved on from it. :)  
S: Most likely in the next break.**

 **Q: In reply to all the "Please update!" and "I'm dying for more!", etc  
L: Thanks for all the positive reviews! It's always refreshing to see that we're getting positive vibes from everyone even though we're not even halfway finished (despite already spending close to 10 months editing this). I'm sure that Spirit is working really well trying to push these out every week and a half, and I'm doing my best to edit these as fast as possible so I can get them out for you guys quickly (sometimes even neglecting my own works and some other stuff _ ) Just popping by the review section and seeing the encouragement really makes my day when I'm staring at walls of text all day :) Thanks for the support! Just thought I'd throw this out there after scrolling through pages and pages of reviews :D  
S: Not much for me to add to that. Like Lucky said, the fact that most, if not all the reviews, are positive, encourages me to finish each chapter as soon as possible, as well as make sure the quality is up to snuff (And like Lucky, I sometimes neglect my other fics to do this one). Thanks for the support, and the words of encouragement. It really helps a lot.**

Chapter 33: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 10

" **...morn….ing." A far away sounding voice said. "...goo….d….Good….d….morning…."**

"Um, what's that?" Chihiro asked nervously.

"Whatever it is, it's freaking out me out." Hina said, also nervous.

 **The scene showed a sleeping Makoto slowly opening in his eyes. And when he did, he was face to face with Monokuma. "Good morning!"**

" **Uwaaaaah!"**

The others yelped or shouted in shock at Monokuma's sudden appearance. "What the hell?!" Mondo exclaimed.

"Why is Monokuma is Makoto's room?!" Sayaka questioned, with a bit of worry in her voice.

 **Makoto quickly sat up and backed away from the bear. "Upupu! Nice reaction!" Monokuma snickered. "I'm glad to see you didn't disappoint!"**

" **Wh-What….?!" Makoto, fully waking up, exclaimed, "What are you doing here?!"**

"That's what we want to know!" Leon agreed. "The last thing I want to see when waking up is that damn bear in front of me!"

"Here, here." Hifumi agreed. The others nodded or agreed verbally as well.

" **I wanted to spice things up!" Monokuma explained. "So instead of a school announcement, I decided to wake you up in person!"**

" **What the hell for?!"**

" **Because it's fun." Was the bear's answer.**

' _Agreed, Monokuma!'_ Junko mentally cheered. It's really fun to see her classmates react like that! Plus, that little surprise made the viewing less dull for her.

And she has a feeling that there's more to come.

 **Makoto let out a groan. "It's not fun for me."**

"Why did I get the feeling he did that to all of us?" Taka inquired.

"Probably because he did so." Celeste sighed. "He wouldn't miss the opportunity to scare all of us." Heaven knows how she would react to that surprise. Hopefully, she restrained from throwing something at the bear.

" **And as long as I'm here, I figured I'd let you hear it right from the bear's mouth."**

" **Hear what?" Makoto asked in annoyance.**

" **Are you sure you should be acting this laid back?" Monokuma asked rhetorically. "I mean, even though something happened to one of your buddy-buddy classmates?"**

The bear's words incited a wave of fear and dread around the students. The events of chapter 1 was still fresh in everyone's minds.

"What?!" Leon exclaimed.

"S-Something happened?" Hina asked, a little scared on what they'll find out.

" **What….?" That had Makoto's face turning pale.**

" **Wuhwuhwuh-what?" Monokuma tilted his head towards him. "Your face is all blue, like someone on the verge of death!"**

" **What….what happened?" Makoto nervously asked. He began getting more frantic. "What are you talking about?!"**

 **His response was the bear's usual laugh. "That's for me to know, and you to find out! Good luuuck!" With that, the bear left, leaving Makoto to his own thoughts.**

"Did….it happen again?" Sayaka asked shakily.

"It can't be!" Hiro said in panic. "I mean, those were just embarrassing secrets, right? Who would want to kill for that?"

"I told you, you can't judge someone else's experiences based on your own." Byakuya chided. "If it is another murder, which is most likely, then someone thought it was more important than you thought."

"Then how come the future Byakuya failed to address that concern?" Taka cried out.

The heir closed his eyes. It's probably because it didn't benefit him in anyway.

' _ **Something's happened to someone….'**_ **Makoto thought in his mind.** ' _ **Is it…? Was it-?!'**_ **He shook his head. "No, it can't be….there's no way someone would…."**

 **After a moment of silence, he got up. "...The dining hall." He decided to himself. "I need to get to the dining hall." With that, he got ready and went to the dining hall.**

 **When he entered in, the only people here are Sakura, Hina, Hiro, and Byakuya. Hina was the first to speak. "Ah, Makoto!"**

" **Are you okay?" Hiro asked in concern.**

" **Did Monokuma talk to you, too?" Sakura inquired.**

 **Makoto counted everyone here. "Hiro, Hina, Sakura, and…." He turned to the last one here. "Byakuya…."**

"They're the only ones here?" Mukuro mused out loud, narrowing her eyes. "What about everyone else?"

"We're either searching around the school to figure out what Monokuma was talking about," Kyoko deduced. "Or ... no longer here."

Though she didn't directly say it, she still couldn't lie about the fact that someone has died. Her words put the group on edge a little bit more.

" **You're the only ones? Where's everyone else?"**

" **Either they're off trying to verify what Monokuma said…." Byakuya stated. "Or they've fallen victim to the 'something' that Monokuma mentioned."**

" **The….something?" Makoto repeated, getting more and more nervous.**

" **It can't be….has it happened again?" Sakura questioned. "Murder….?"**

The reminder of the murder drove the tension up even more in the room with those who aren't on the screen hoping they didn't die.

"D-Did a murder….really happen?" Chihiro asked shakily.

"From our perspective, at least, it's obvious." Celeste said, closing her eyes. "With the ominous foreshadowings been given to us, another murder has most likely happened."

"Now, now, Miss Ludenberg…." Hifumi said nervously. "Maybe Monokuma is just lying, so we could all panic about it."

"While it may be true that he wants us to panic for a bit," Sayaka put in. "I doubt that damn bear would lie about something like that happening."

"No use denying it." Byakuya said, narrowing his eyes. "Let's just see which one of us is the next victim."

 **That had Makoto's blood running cold. "S-So if something did happen….does that mean someone did it cuz of what happened yesterday?"**

" **It can't be!" Hina cried out. "That stuff was just a bunch of old memories!"**

"' **Just old memories'?" Byakaya repeated. "Don't be so sure about that. Clearly someone felt it was more important than that."**

" **Huh….?" Makoto turned to the heir in confusion.**

" **To judge someone's else's values based on your own outlook….do you realize how dangerous that is?" Byakuya asked them all.**

"Oh, now you say something!" Sayaka cried out, throwing her hands up. "That bit of info isn't gonna do anything for us now!"

" **Wh-? Why didn't you say something yesterday?!" Hina demanded angrily.**

 **Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "Did you already forgot? This isn't a co-op game. It's every man for himself." He told them. "What good does it do me to go out of my way to help you?"**

"Are you fucking serious?" Mondo growled. Several of the others also look angry.

"Will he stop saying that it's a game?!" Hina exclaimed. "It's far from a game!"

"That Byakuya is seriously messed up in the head." Leon remarked.

" **Stop saying that already!" Hina exclaimed in frustration.**

" **There's something wrong with him, for serious." Hiro said, looking at Byakuya nervously. "Did he get brainwashed or something?"**

" **That's not important." Sakura told them all. "What matters right now is that we find out what happened…."**

 **Byakuya nodded in agreement. "She's right. Let's all split up and begin looking." He snickered sinerstly. "The game is afoot."**

Byakuya scowled to himself. Watching this was infuriating, a constant jab at his old self. He couldn't even defend himself since they're right.

" **So we began searching through the building." Narrator Makoto spoke, as the TV showed Sakura, Hina, Hiro, Byakuya, and Makoto searching around. "We first started at the first floor. After finding no one there, I went to the second. And my search lead me to the locker room."**

 **The scene showed Makoto going into the locker room. When he did, he noticed something.** ' _ **Huh….?'**_ **As he got closer to the boy's locker room, he saw that the door is opened.** ' _ **The door's open. But aren't these supposed to be locked….?'**_

"Makoto's right." Taka agreed, furrowing his eyebrows. "They should be locked."

"I have a bad feeling about this." Junko muttered with a convincing sense of concern. She hid a smile as several of the others grew more nervous.

 **After that thought ran in his head, the school bell rung, and the monitor inside the locker room turned on. "For this investigation, I have unlocked the doors. Please look around to your heart's content!"**

The mention of the word 'investigation' drove everyone towards the edge once more.

"I-Investigation?" Taka stuttered.

"And that confirms that a murdered happen." Byakuya sighed. "Not that we needed confirmation."

No one tried to disagree with him. It was a fact that no one wanted to accept.

 **Makoto's eyes went wide at this. "I-Investigation….?"**

" **Just as I thought." Makoto turned around to see Byakuya behind him.**

" **Byakuya-!" The luckster gasped in shock.**

 **The heir ignored him. "Judging from what he just said, there can be no doubt a murder really has taken place."**

" **C-Come on….!" Makoto said, almost sounding like he's whining.**

"I know, right?" Hiro whined. "Why did another killing have to happen?"

"What we should asked ourselves is who's the next victim." Celeste remarked towards Hiro.

"I don't think any of us want to answer that right now." Leon muttered.

" **And the other rooms…." Byakuya murmured outloud. "They're suspicious. Very suspicious, indeed. Wouldn't you, agree?"**

" **Huh?" Makoto looked at the affluent progeny in confusion. "Suspicious….?"**

" **It seems nobody's searched the locker rooms. Let's start with the girl's locker room…." Without waiting for a reply, he went over to the door and pressed his hand on it.**

"Um, why do you want to go to the girl's locker room?" Junko asked him, noticing his actions. "I thought that was Hifumi's thing."

"I resent that!"

The heir ignored them, frowning to himself. Why indeed, does his future self want to look in the girl's locker room? It was definitely a strange decision.

 **With one push, the door slid opened, and the two entered into the room. And once Makoto got a good look as to what's in there, he froze.**

 **Right in the girl's locker room is Chihiro, hung up and dangling from the ground, blood coming from head down to her legs, her eyes wide open, and the word bloodlust written from behind. "What….?"**

" **I don't know how long it took for me to fully comprehend the reality of what I was looking at." The narrator Makoto said. "But as soon as I did…."**

 **As the screen turned black, Makoto let out a loud, horrified scream. "A wild, almost primeval scream escaped from my mouth."**

Yet again, a horrific silence took up the room. Not only had Chihiro died, but the brutal display of her body baffled everyone even further.

Hina's and Sayaka's faces was of complete horror, while Taka, Hifumi, and Yasuhiro were as white as a sheet. Kyoko, Byakuya, and Celeste, on the other hand, still had their neutral expressions on their faces, already thinking about what they saw.

Makoto, once again, is shaking, his eyes wide in horror, grief, shock, and confusion. Not only did someone else die, it was yet another of his closest friends in the class. And what confused him is the fact that Chihiro's in the girl's locker room. How did he get in there? It shouldn't be possible for the programmer to be in that locker room, right?

The programmer herself is staring at the screen with wide, horrified, and confused eyes. Her face is twisted into pure anguish. She's….dead? How? Why? Question after question began flooding her mind with none of them having any answers. There were so many questions and feelings, that her mind eventually shut down after a moment. She settled with a blank expression facing the screen with empty tears slowly streaming out of her eyes.

Toko looked at the scene with horror, as well as realization. But she wasn't focus on the body. No, what she focused on is the words written behind Chihiro. Bloodlust. "W-What….b-but….w-why…." The effect of seeing blood, and the words written on the wall, caused to fell unconscious once again.

Mondo was completely red and looked to be in a state of shock. Horror, fury, confusion, all of those emotions are raging inside him at the site. Despite his state, he was the first to speak. "What….the hell?" He roared.

That broke everyone else from their silence. "C-Chihiro's….dead?" Hina asked, her voice sounding close to breaking. "B-But, why?"

"Curses!" Sakura growled, head hung low. Another of her friends, dead! And Chihiro is the victim this time!

"Took the words right out of my mouth!" Leon growled, looking pissed off. "Who the hell decided to kill Chihiro, of all people?!"

"That is what we need to find out, don't we?" Celeste retorted, doing all she can to keep her emotions in check. "We need to find out, which one of us, killed Chihiro."

Chihiro slowly folder herself into a ball in her chair. Though still expressionless on the outside, her overloaded mind now had to deal with the fact that one of her friends had just killed her. What were friends for? Was she wrong to trust people? Moving forward had always seemed easy, but now, it was suddenly very difficult.

Junko in the meantime, is enjoying the dread and tension. She almost jumped at the beautiful display of a murder. Another one of her classmates are dead and this time, it's their lovable and timid programmer Chihiro. The sight of the current Chihiro trying to hide herself from everyone else was just pitiful too! Oh, the despair is so good! This time, however, she was careful to reign in the pleasure she's feeling, and instead, looked as horrified as anyone else.

 **(Chapter 2 - Boys' Life of Despair - Deadly Life)**

 **The screen changed to Makoto, who's sitting on his butt and staring at Chihiro's corpse in distress. Byakuya, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. "Most unusual, don't you think….?"**

 **Makoto looked at him in confusion. "Look. Chihiro's corps has been suspended somehow." Byakuya pointed out. "And something's been written on the wall, in blood….'Bloodlust'?"**

"Bloodlust?" Hiro repeated nervously. "But, isn't what Genocide Jack writes down whenever she kills somebody?"

The group slowly turned the unconscious book writer. Mondo, getting his senses back, slowly let out a furious snarl. "Was that fucked up serial killer the one who killed Chihiro?"

Kyoko was the one to answer. "Not likely. Remember that in most of her cases, she uses scissors to both kill and hang her victims. Not to mention, all of her victims were male. There's no reason for Genocide Jack to change her methods or her targets."

"Not unless she decided to kill to keep her secret, as well as to survive." Byakuya pointed out.

The detective shook her head. "No. If that was the case, she wouldn't even bother with the message and arrangement. That would obviously point her as the suspect."

"Well, whoever it is, I will beat their ass into the ground!" Mondo growled, his hands curled into fist. "Anyone who would lay a hand on Chihiro is scum!"

" **Such a brutal way to kill someone….." The heir trailed off, before slightly correcting his statement. "No, this is beyond brutal. Wouldn't you agree?"**

" **They killed her. How could it not be brutal?" Makoto exclaimed.**

 **Byakuya shook his head. "No, that's not my point." He stated. "This murder is far too bizarre for any everyday amateur to have committed it. Unlike with Sayaka, this murder was not a crime of passion or necessity. It's almost as if whoever did this….did it for fun. You see what I mean, don't you?"**

The idea had everyone's spine crawling. "F-For fun?" Hina repeated, feeling sick.

"But who on earth would do something like this for fun?" Taka questioned in distress.

Makoto had an idea as to who would kill for the thrill of it, other than Genocide Jack. But for right now, he pushed that thought away. He'll save it for the class trial.

 **The idea stunned Makoto. "...What?"**

 **Before either of them could say anymore, Taka rushed in. "Hey, I heard screaming! Did something-?" When he caught site of Chihiro's corpse, he let out a horrified scream, color draining from his face. "Chihiro?!"**

 **Right after his scream, the school bells rung and the monitor suddenly turned on. "A body has been discovered!" The bear announced. "After a certain amount of time, which you may use however you like, the class trial will begin!" With that, the monitor turned off.**

The announcement surprised the group. "Um, what the hell was that?" Sayaka asked, looking as bad as the others.

"Obviously, it's an announcement for when a group of people found the body." Byakuya pointed out. "It probably had played during the last murder as well, while Makoto was unconscious."

 **Makoto looked at the monitor in surprise. "What the hell was that….?"**

" **Ah, that's right. You were unconscious during Sayaka's, so you don't know about it." Byakuya remembered. "What you just heard was the body discovery announcement. Apparently, when three or more people discover a body, an announcement plays to let everyone know."**

"And it seems that I was correct." Byakuya said. No one else commented on it.

" **I imagine it's so that the search for the culprit can proceed fairly for everyone involved."**

' _ **Proceed….fairly?'**_ **Makoto thought, processing what Byakuya said.**

" **The body discovery announcement?!" Taka exclaimed, still pale. "Then Chihiro really is….?"**

" **Dead, yes." Byakuya said coldly. "Before you start screaming your head off, go round everyone up. It seems another game has begun. Another life-or-death game to uncover a killer…."**

"He's acting so callous about this!" Hina shouted in anger, as well as distressed. "Why is he treating this like a game?!"

"Trust me Hina, we're all asking that." Leon remarked.

While they were talking, Makoto and Mondo looked at Chihiro in concern. The small programmer looked completely lost. Any sign of her usual cheerful self was gone, replaced by an empty husk. "Hey, Chihiro….?" Mondo called out softly. "You okay there?" Slowly, he put a hand on her shoulder.

That caused Chihiro to flinch before turning her head to the biker. Slowly, tears started running down her eyes once again. "W-Why….?" Chihiro spoke out, squeezing her legs tighter towards her, a bit of emotion returning. "Why would any of our friends want to kill me?" Was it because she's the easiest target? Did she earn someone's ire at any point? Or was it something else?

Mondo closed his eyes. "I don't know." He told her. "But one way or another, we'll find them."

Chihiro doesn't know how to feel to that. On one hand, if they don't find her culprit, then they'll all be killed. But on the other, if they do, the one who killed her will be executed. But she doesn't any of her friends to die. Even though one of them had just killed her, she couldn't deny that she didn't want that person to die either.

 **The screen blackened for a moment before showing nearly everyone gathered around the body, many of them looking confused, fearful, and angry. "Damn….I couldn't keep her safe….!" Sakura growled, looking down.**

" **So there's another victim…." Taka stated in anguish.**

" **Which means we are now in the same position once again." Celeste said calmly.**

 **Mondo looked at the scene, stunned. "Fuck, man…." He breathed out slowly. "What the fuck is this?!"**

" **It's a dream….this is a dream! It's all just a dream!" Hifumi said in denial. "In fact, I haven't even been born yet! I don't have any memory of ever being alive!" He then let out a terrified screamed.**

Celeste closed her eyes in frustration. "Will he stop spouting nonsense?"

"At least it isn't Hiro being in denial." Byakuya sighed. "That was more of an annoyance than this."

"True."

"Hey! I have a perfectly good reason to be in denial!" Hiro defended himself. He held his hand towards the screen. "I mean, who would want to believe in this?!"

He….has a good point. One that no one could argue with.

" **Shut up." Celeste stated coldly to the fanfic creator.**

 **The attention was then put towards the message written on the wall. "I don't think it's any kind of dying message." Kyoko theorized. "It's just too….strange…."**

"That, and she's in no position to actually write the message." Mukuro said, pointing out the position she's in.

Kyoko nodded in agreement. "True."

" **But you know…." Taka said, realizing something. "That thing about writing 'bloodlust' in blood….doesn't that sound kinda familiar?"**

 **Memories of them talking about the murderous fiend, Genocide Jack, came into mind. "Genocide Jack!" Hiro exclaimed in shock and fear.**

" **Then this is….some copycat killer trying to imitate Genocide Jack's 'style'?" Hina questioned nervously. "But….why would anyone do that?"**

"Yeah, that's true." Taka said, furrowing his eyebrows. "Why would any of us want to imitate Genocide Jack's style of killing?"

"Probably to frame her, most likely." Byakuya said. "After all, Genocide Jack's signature message would obviously point to her."

"Like the murder happening in Makoto's room." Mukuro said with a frown. "I'm beginning to see a pattern there."

"Yeah." Makoto agreed.

" **Perhaps….it's the work of the real Genocide Jack." Byakuya suggested.**

" **The real….?" Hiro went pale. "Wait, are you saying Genocide Jack is here in this school?!"**

" **Th-There's no way….!" Hina said in denial.**

Leon sighed. "Remember the days where the thought of having a serial killer in our class was terrifying?"

"Now, you could have an assassin inside the class and you wouldn't even bat an eye." Sayaka agreed with her own sigh.

Makoto let out a sigh as well. Where did all the normal people go?

" **But going so far as to write bloodlust at the scene….I am surprised at their stupidity…." Celeste commented on.**

" **I can't imagine a worse situation than dealing with a stupid murderer…." Sakura stated.**

"Well, she ain't stupid." Junko said, crossing her arms. "Crazy, definitely, but not stupid."

"No argument there." Hina said, looking at the unconscious book writer.

 **Hina then let out a surprise gasp, looking at the door. "Ah-!"**

" **What is it now?!" Hifumi exclaimed in fear.**

" **Toko!" Was Hina's answer, pointing at the entrance of the girls' locker room.**

 **Sure enough, the book writer was there, staring at the scene in shock. "Ah…ahh…?" She muttered, looking at the scene in terror. Nnnnnno…w-why…? Why…? W…h…y…?"**

" **WHYYYYYYYY?!" With that screech, she fainted.**

"Aaaand, she fainted." Junko announced. "Been wondering when that was going to happen."

The others weren't surprised either.

" **She fainted! That did NOT sound good!" Hiro exclaimed.**

" **T-Toko!" Hina rushed over to Toko and started trying to shake her awake. "Toko, are you okay?! Come on, wake up!"**

"Wait a minute…" Hifumi spoke up nervously. "Our future counterparts doesn't know about Genocide Jack being inside Toko, right?"

That caused the others to grow pale, wondering what chaos would happen when Jack wakes up.

" **Oh, that's right." Hifumi said in remembrance. "I just remembered what she said, about how she faints anytime she sees blood."**

" **So she is hemophobic?" Celeste deduced. "I imagine she does not watch too many horror films, then."**

" **This isn't a violation of the rules, right? I mean, technically she passed out somewhere besides her room." Hiro pointed out nervously.**

 **Makoto shook his head. "No, I think it should be okay. The regulations prohibit 'sleeping'. Like, on purpose."**

 **That provided temporary relief for Hiro. "Ahh, so since didn't faint on purpose, it doesn't count? Gotcha."**

 **Hina, ignoring the commentary, continued shaking Toko. "Toko, can you hear me?! Hey, you gotta wake up!"**

 **As if she heard her, Toko stood up from her spot on the ground, as if she's possessed. A strange smiled and look is placed on her face.**

Several of them stiffened. "Oh crap! Genocide Jack!"

"This is going to cause more chaos." Celeste sighed.

Byakuya, however, have a different opinion. "I don't think we have to worry right now." He told the others. "While she doesn't possess the same memories as Toko, they share the same emotions."

"That is true." Kyoko said in agreement. "And you think her emotions will tell her not reveal herself as Genocide Jack?"

"Most likely, so." The heir stated. "And she's not stupid enough to reveal herself if no one else knows. Otherwise, she would've been caught long ago." That relieved the others a bit.

" **Huh? What?" Hina said in confusion.**

" **Sorry about that. I was just so shocked, ya know?" Toko said, for once speaking clearly. "It happens, right? Was I the only one?"**

" **T-Toko? Are you….okay?" Makoto asked, worried.**

" **I'm fine, I'm fine!" She let out some sort of mad laughter. Her eyes was then set on a dead body. "Whoa, is that a dead body?! Hey! Are you dead?!" Once again, she cackled.**

" **She musta hit her on head real hard when she fainted…." Hiro said, more than bit creeped out.**

"Yeah, I would've thought the same thing if I didn't know a serial killer was also in that head of hers." Leon admitted.

"Ditto." Mondo agreed.

" **The world has a front and back, a top inning and a bottom, a sea of truth and a web of lies!" Toko spouted out.**

" **This is….quite concerning." Hifumi said nervously. "I mean, she sounds completely different…."**

" **No, no, no, everything' fine!" Toko reassured. "At least the stutter's all gone. That's a good thing, right?!" She ended with her insane sounding laughter.**

" **It's clear to me that everything's not fine!" Taka refuted. "Your eyes seem strangely vacant!"**

" **It might be best if we take her back to her room for the time being…." Sakura suggested.**

" **I don't mind taking her, but….could someone help me?" Hina asked the group.**

 **Hifumi began volunteering. "If you need help, I don't mind-"**

" **Taka, could you help me?" Hina asked the Moral Compass.**

" **Huh? She totally ignored me!" Hifumi exclaimed in shock.**

"Of course she did. What girl would want to be alone with you?" Junko remarked. Hifumi slumped at that.

" **Very well. You take care of the girl, and the rest of us can begin the investigation right away." Byakuya ordered. "Can I assume nobody has a problem leaving Sakura and Mondo on guard duty again?"**

"Wait, are you really gonna start the investigation already?" Hina questioned in shock.

"Of course. They have no time to waste, and we all know that it wasn't the mastermind who did this." Byakuya told her. "The investigation needs to be started as soon as possible."

"Byakuya has a point." Kyoko sighed. "If they don't find the culprit, then their lives are forfeited. No time can be wasted."

"Yeah, but still…." Makoto gripped his knees, confliction in his eyes. "We can't have a little time to mourn our friends? No time to grieve?"

Kyoko put a comforting hand over his. "They will once they can get out of there, Makoto."

" **H-Hold on a second." Makoto protested. "Rushing into an investigation-"**

" **The mastermind isn't behind that." The heir interrupted curtly. "After what happened last time, you surely realized that."**

 **Makoto gritted his teeth at that. "There's no question that Chihiro was murdered by someone among us." Byakuya said coldly.**

"I can understand Makoto's feeling." Taka admitted. "It just so hard, to think that one of us would decide to kill Chihiro, of all people."

"Well, it's possible that Genocide Jack and Byakuya could've done it." Hiro said nervously. "After all, future Byakuya seems messed up in the head and Genocide Jack is a serial killer."

That earned a glare from the heir. "My future self is not foolish enough to kill somebody after opening up his intention to everyone." He told Hiro. "As interesting as it would make the situation for him, he knows that the others would point to him as the murderer. And we've already discussed Genocide Jack. Do try to use what brain cells you have before throwing accusations at me."

"Okay, okay!" Hiro said, a bit intimidated by the glare. "Alright, what about Cele-"

"Finish that sentence, and you have better prepare for a painful death." Celeste said, a sweet, but cold smile plastered on her face. That caused Hiro to yelp and duck in fear.

Mukuro sighed. "Let's hope the future Hiro could keep his accusations to himself in the trials."

"Agreed." Sakura said with a nod.

" **Isn't that right, Monokuma?"**

 **At the call of his name, the bear appeared. "Right as rain!" Monokuma confirmed. "But don't take it as a bad thing. It's just a fact of life! Because….that's how graduation works!"**

"Don't take it as a bad thing?!" Makoto said incredulously. "Does he really think we won't?"

"He probably just saying those things to aggravate us." Mukuro sighed, shooting a sideways glance at her sister. Though Mukuro has never been one to rouse at the taunts of others, she had seen plenty of people get fired up from empty aggravations.

 **Makoto, ignoring Monokuma, stared at Chihiro's life corpse.** ' _ **Then….it happened again? Is that what you're saying? That another one of us….?'**_ **The screen switch back to the haunted look at Makoto's face.** ' _ **Another one of us….killed….a fellow classmate?'**_

Once again, the look on the luckster's emotionally affected the group. It's not a look they're used seeing with Makoto, and one that they'll probably never get used to. The small whimper Chihiro let out, and the tears falling from her eyes, is not helping.

Mukuro felt her heart clenched once again, guilt eating her up. Not only is she helped cause Makoto distressed, but another classmate is now dead. True enough she had made the decision for this to happen, but her time at Hope's Peak slowly changed that. Once again, she wondered to herself: Can she tell Makoto about her part in the killing game?

" **What, does that freak you out? You guys got no balls, you know that?!" Monokuma taunted. "Is there just nothin' down there at all? Well, I'll let you pray to mine if you want. Actually, I don't have any, either! Sorry!"**

Veins began popping out of Mondo's temple. "I'm. Gonna. Crack. His. Skull!" Mondo growled, his teeth grinding together. His temper is being pushed to the limit right now, and it took every ounce of willpower to stay in this seat.

"How about punching the mastermind's teeth in first?" Leon asked, also annoyed and pissed off. "That way, he can just shut up!"

"That would be very appreciated." Byakuya said, irritation clear in his voice.

 **Byakuya then spoke in irritation. "Stop monologuing and give us what you came here to give us." He ordered. "You did bring it, right?"**

 **The bear let out a small. "I sure did, chum!" He then pulled out the next Monokuma file. "Allow me to present to you the next Monokuma File. I know how much you must be looking forward to it! So, please do your very tippy-top best on this investigation!" With that, Monokuma left.**

 **Hina looked sick. "Do we really gotta do another investigation….?" She questioned, glancing at Chihiro. "Examining the corpses of one our friends, having to suspect all our other friends…." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I hate this….I can't take it anymore!"**

Chihiro, who was quiet for most part, finally spoke up. "I hate it, too." She whimpered, getting everyone's attention. She seemed to have recovered somewhat from her earlier breakdown, but more importantly, she seemed to have figured out what she feels. "Even though someone killed me, I don't them to be sacrificed. I don't want anyone to die!"

Sayaka bit her lip at that. Despite being killed, despite one of her friends being her murderer….Chihiro doesn't wish them any ill-will. While a part of her wanted them punished for putting a knife in her stomach. ' _Chihiro is a much better person than I am.'_ She thought to herself.

"But if we don't, the rest of us will be killed." Celeste sighed. "There's no favorable option for us."

Chihiro buried her head in her knees. She knows. And she hates that.

" **I hate it, too!" Hiro screamed in distress. "I-I-I've had enough! I'm gettin' outta here!"**

"Where the hell do you plan to go to?" Leon asked incredulously. "Did Hiro forget that they're trapped in the goddamn school?"

"That is most likely the case." Byakuya sighed.

" **Where do you plan on going?" Sakura questioned. "There's nowhere to run."**

" **Just accept it already. After all, blood is just a liquid." Byakuya said coldly. "A dead body is a simple object."**

That was the last straw for Mondo. Before anyone could do or say anything, he shot off like a bullet straight towards the heir.

But just as he got into striking distance, chains suddenly shot from behind him and wrapped around his arms, torso, and neck. He immediately hit the ground, a few feet short of Byakuya's seat, to which even he was a bit surprised. Everyone stared at the scene in pure shock while Mondo struggled against the chains on the ground, anger and confusion mixed together. "What….the hell?"

"While Byakuya deserves a slap to the face, I doubt you'll stop there." Spirit said flatly. "No excessive violence is permitted while I'm around. These chains help enforce that rule."

"You can summon chains?!" Hifumi squealed in shock. Spirit nodded.

"Like I said, many tricks up my sleeves." Their host repeated. "Some of them used to keep the more….temperamental ones, in check. Now Mondo, will you settle down?"

"Like hell!" Mondo roared, still struggling to strangle Byakuya. The heir merely sat stiffly in his chair, with his initial surprise subsided, showed little reaction to Mondo's rage. "I'm gonna fuck him up for what he said!"

"I say let him." Leon muttered angrily. Not only is he calling Chihiro an object, but also him, Sayaka, and Mukuro. And that pissed him off real badly.

Chihiro, however, thought differently. "Stop Mondo, please." Chihiro pleaded weakly, her voice hoarse. "I don't want anyone fighting because of me. So please, calm down."

"Also, remember that everything we're seeing is only happening in the future, bro." Taka reminded him. "We cannot change what happens there."

The biker stood their stiffly, anger clear in his face and posture. But after a moment, he relaxed, causing the chains to retract back into the ground. "Fuck!" Was all he said as he got up, gave a threatening look at the heir before returning to his seat. He seemed to calm down a bit more as he walked pass Chihiro, her pleading eyes doing the work.

Meanwhile, Junko mentally pouted. She would've liked to see that entire thing go down, for multiple reasons.

" **You are very….enthusiastic about all of this, are you not?" Celeste inquired.**

" **How can I not be?" The heir asked rhetorically. "If we don't unmask the culprit, we all die."**

" **Th-That's true, but…." Makoto protested. "To jump into it so soon…."**

" **What? Do you want to die?" The heir questioned harshly. "Fine, then go off and die somewhere. Right now, go ahead. You're a waste of space."**

That caused Sayaka to let out a growl, her anger towards the affluent progeny increasing. It increased more when she saw the hurt look on Makoto's face. "That. Bastard." She hissed lowly, drawing a concern look from Makoto.

"Sayaka, please don't be bad." The luckster pleaded. "Remember, that this is the future Byakuya talking."

"With his memory wiped." Sayaka pointed out angrily. "Up until the day we all entered Hope's Peak. Which was only months ago." Makoto flinched a little at that.

"I know, but, even if it was only a couple months, I think he's starting to change." Makoto told her, truly believing that. "So please don't get mad at him for this."

Sayaka was silent for a moment before speaking, this time more softly. "Fine." It's only because of Makoto, and his forgiving nature, that she isn't going up there and slapping Byakuya right in the face. It's hard to believe that the Byakuya now used to be so different.

 **Mondo then spoke up. "A dead body is an….object?" He then started yelling at him. "Chihiro wasn't an 'object'! Show a little respect, or I'll beat some into ya!"**

" **Everyone stop bickering." Kyoko ordered. "Listen, there's some truth in what Byakuya said."**

" **K-Kyoko!"**

"You actually agree with the jackass?!" Leon exclaimed.

"I don't agree with him on everything." Kyoko reminded him coldly. In fact, she's more than a little angry at what he said to Makoto. "But if we don't find the culprit, we will all die. That's a fact that cannot be ignored."

"Yeah…." Hina said dejectedly. She wonders how her other self is feeling. Pretty bad, she imagine.

 **The lavender haired girl turned towards Makoto. "If we don't solve the mystery and find the killer, our lives are forfeit. And if Byakuya is right that Genocide Jack is somehow the one killed Chihiro….then unless we do something, more victims could start piling up."**

" **Forget more victims! If we mess this up, we're all dead meat!" Hifumi exclaimed.**

 **That's when Monokuma appeared. "Hold on, hold on." The bear began. "If that's your worry, you don't gotta worry any longer! In any one killing game, the guilty party may only kill a maximum of two people."**

" **What….?" Hifumi said, confused. "I don't remember any rule like that."**

"Neither do I." Taka agreed. And that is something he would definitely remember!

"He probably just added the rule." Mukuro deduced. "Otherwise, the killing game probably wouldn't last long."

"You think he wants the game to last?" Sakura inquired.

"I would assume so, yes." Mukuro answered, acting like she have as much knowledge as everyone else. "Otherwise, he would've just added every motive all at once. Use that confusion to cause someone to do something rash."

"That's a good point." Kyoko mused. "Plus, there's the added rule." Question is, why though? Is there a reason the mastermind wants the game to last long?

" **I just came up with it." Monokuma answered. "I mean, if one person went around and killed everyone, your lovely student life would be all over, right?"**

"It would seem that Mukuro was correct." Celeste said. "But why not one, though?"

"The answer would probably be given, soon." Byakuya said, trying to take his mind off of how his future self is acting for right now.

" **In that case, why not limit it to one person?" Sakura questioned.**

" **Well in a good mystery, you don't want to miss out on at least the potential of a serial killer angle!" The bear let out a sinister laugh. "Just one would totally murder that possibility! Farewell for now! I'll catch you guys at the class trial!"**

"Does….anyone understand this pyscho's thought process?" Leon groaned.

"I doubt any of us WANTS to understand him." Hina pointed out.

" **I can't say I understand his thinking, but if we can kill up to two people….then one more person's life could still be in danger." Celeste said.**

" **Which is definitely not good." Byakuya stated. "We need to uncover the culprit before something else happens."**

" **YOU need to shut the fuck up!" Mondo retorted angrily.**

" **W-Well…." Hina spoke up nervously. "For now, Taka and I are gonna drop Toko off at her room."**

" **Nice! I'm gonna get dropped off!" With that, Hina and Taka escorted out of the room.**

" **We have no time to stand around here. We must begin our investigation tout suite." Celeste spoke up. "If we do not solve the mystery of who killed Chihiro, then we will quickly follow her into the afterlife."**

' _ **That's true….'**_ **Makoto thought to himself. He clenched his hands into fists.** ' _ **I hate this, but….if I want to survive….me and everyone else….have to do it. We don't have any other choice!'**_

"Indeed we don't." Celeste sighed. "And so, our future selves are beginning yet another investigation."

"But, who is the killer this time?" Hifumi asked nervously. "Who would really kill Chihiro, of all people?"

"That is the question we all need to figure out." Kyoko said. "But before we start, someone needs to wake up Toko. Or rather, Genocide Jill."

"No need! I'm here!" With that sudden statement, Jack leapt up from her spot on the ground and landed on her feet, startling some the couple people sitting there.

"Dammit Jill, would you stop doing that?!" Leon exclaimed. "Monokuma is giving us enough heart attacks as it is!"

"Sorry, no can do!" Jill denied. "A famous serial killer such as mwuah must make their dramatic entrance!"

"More like infamous." Hiro muttered.

Jill happily ignored the fortune teller. "So, what did I miss? Did I make my shining introduction yet?"

"Um, I wouldn't call it shining…." The group then began explaining what had happened during her absence.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next up will be the investigation, which will probably one or two chapters by my estimate. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: On a side note, it seems I have missed Naegiri week ):. No stories from me for that. Actually, I need to mark this week down so I don't forget it next year x_x. So much to do in so little time... AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH. (Btw, new story from me hopefully coming out next week, if not, definitely before new years!) #Shameless-self-promotion**


	35. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P11

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, here they'll be watching the second investigation. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Dislcaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Review Response section!**

 **Q: Regarding Byakuya getting punched  
L: Hey guys, I don't think Byakuya getting punched for something he technically didn't do would be fair :P Although, whether he gets punched or not remains to be seen.  
S: I have to agree. While it would be satisfying to read or write down, it wouldn't really be fair. Thought there's still a possibility of one of them attempting inflicting physical punishment at the present Byakuya.**

 **Q: Gennai;s Acolyte, Which events will the second cast be viewing? (DR2 vs DR3 Despair Arc)  
L: It will most likely be the DR2, with it progressing the same way this story is.  
S: Yep.**

 **Q: Gennai's Acolyte, regarding the harem  
L: I think you don't have anything to worry about, that was just my own opinion on harems and has no bearing on this story at all. I fully support that Spirit is making this a harem story and if I didn't, I wouldn't be here editing it for him :)  
**

Chapter 34: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 11

"So it was the rockstar wannabe that killed little Miss Perfect, huh?" Jill commented on casually. "And now it's Tinker Bell that got killed off?"

"That is correct." Celeste confirmed with a nod.

Jill let out a cackle. "Interesting! Very, very interesting! Never thought any of us would murder the heck out of that loli girl!"

"None of us did." Hina sadly said. "Why would anyone want to kill Chihiro, of all people?"

"Well, let's watch and find out!" She flopped back on her previous seat. "I want to see who cold-hearted enough to take out Tinker Bell!"

"Of course she's excited for this." Leon grumbled. Never the less, everyone pay their attention back to the screen.

' _ **First off, I'd better check the Monokuma File to see exactly what's going on.'**_ **He began reading the Monokuma file. "The victim was Chihiro Fujisaki. The time of death is estimated to be around 2:00 a.m. The body was discovered in the girls locker room, on the 2nd floor the school. The cause of death was a blow to the head with a blunt object. She was killed instantly."**

"There's less information than before." Kyoko noted. "But only a little."

"Would it hinder the search for the culprit?" Taka inquired, to which the detective shook her head.

"No, it shouldn't. It just means there isn't anything else to add."

' _ **That's….all it says.'**_ **He mentally sighed.** ' _ **Well….it's not like there's any point in complaining about it. No matter what, I gotta do what I gotta do….'**_

 **As he lowered the file from his eyes, Byakuya cames towards him. "Hey, Makoto. Do you have a second?"**

That was definitely an odd sight for everyone. "Strange that you would be the one to seek one Makoto." Mukuro said, narrowing her eyes, the suspicion clear in her voice.

"I swear, if you start insulting him again…." Sayaka growled towards Byakuya, not finishing her sentence, but her tone leaving her intent obvious. The scowl on Hina's face, along with the cold looks from Kyoko and Celeste, also backed up the idol's unfinished threat. Though Byakuya didn't react to them, his motion of pushing up his glasses was enough of a response for the girls.

" **Huh?" Makoto looked at him in confusion. "Did you….need something from me?"**

" **Of course." The heir stated, as if it was obvious. "Life without purpose is quite dull, you know?"**

" **Um, so….what did you need?" Makoto asked warily.**

" **I'm going to let you cooperate with me during my investigation." Byakuya declared.**

" **...Huh?"** (A shared thought amongst everyone else)

" **I'm purchasing your talent." Byakuya explained arrogantly. "The same talent which allowed you to solve Sayaka's case."**

"Wha-Wha-Wha-Whaaat? Master would choose him over me?" Jill cried out.

"So you want to use him for the investigation?" Sakura asked, ignoring the serial killer.

Byakuya nodded. "Out of all of you plebeians, Makoto and Kyoko are the most useful in these investigations."

"And since Makoto is more a pushover, you chose him." Leon called out. The heir ignored him while Makoto gave his friend a not-so-friendly look.

" **S-Solve….?" Makoto repeated in surprise. "No, I just…."**

" **You seem to have limited use. Which is why I've chosen you." Byakuya told him. "You have the honor of contributing to my investigation."**

"Honor. Right." Junko remarked dryly. "Do you really think that everyone in the world want to kiss your feet?"

"Anyone with common sense would feel honor to use their talents for my benefit." Byakuya stated arrogantly.

"I know I would!" Jill sighed dramatically. "If there's any cute boys master wants me to kill, I would gladly do it!"

"...Are you sure you didn't meant any person with no common sense?" Leon deadpanned.

' _ **So….you're inviting me to come with you?'**_ **Makoto deduced.** ' _ **You're doing it in the most arrogant way possible, though….'**_

"What did you expect?" Mondo grumbled, still very pissed off at Byakuya.

 **The heir spoke up once again. "Now then, shall we get started?"**

" **B-But…."**

" **We need to get moving. There's no time to be standing around." Byakuya told him rudely.**

 **Makoto was silent after that.** ' _ **I don't really know what just happened….'**_ **He admitted to himself.** ' _ **But it looks like I'll be working with Byakuya on this one.'**_

Leon patted Makoto's shoulder sympathetically. "I pity you, man. I truly do."

"Ditto." Hina added in, with some of the others nodding, looking sympathetic for their favorite luckster.

Makoto couldn't help but sweatdrop at this, while Byakuya merely let out a scoff.

" **I began the investigation in the girls' locker room." The narrator Makoto began summarizing. The scene showed Makoto kneeling on the ground, looking at the dumbell. "The first thing I noticed was the dumbell, which has a bloodstain on it."**

 **The scene switched to Makoto looking at the bloodstain on the carpet. "Next, was bloodstain on the carpet, followed by the blood on the poster and of course, the word BLOODLUST, written with Chihiro's blood." The camera moved towards the poster and the bloody words.**

"So we can assume that a dumbbell was used to kill Chihiro." Kyoko deduced. "After all, the cause of death is a blow to the head, and there's no other possible weapon in sight."

"Plus, the blood on the dumbbell seems to mach the wound on Chihiro's head." Mukuro added. "Although, we would need to have a closer look to check."

The thought made some of the others sick, especially Hina and Makoto, the two of them being the most emphatic of the Ultimates. Chihiro herself especially looked uncomfortable at the thought of someone looking at her wounds so closely.

 **The next scene showed was Makoto and Sakura talking to one another. "Then, I heard Sakura's account about the scene of Chihiro's death. I thought there was a possibility of Chihiro being killed somewhere else and moved here, but she thought otherwise."**

" **She's been talking a lot lately about how she wanted to get stronger." Sakura told him.**

" **So you're saying she came here to excerise?" Makoto inquired. "But according to the Monokuma File, apparently she was killed around two in the morning. Would she really exercising that late?"**

"A good point there." Celeste agreed. "Why would anyone want to exercise at two in the morning?"

'… _.To avoid getting spotted.'_ That's the conclusion Makoto, Leon, and Chihiro made. After all, if Chihiro tried during the day, the risk of getting caught was high. So night was the only possible option.

' _But how on earth did Chihiro get in there?'_ Makoto thought to himself. The best thing he could think of was that Chihiro managed to hack into the handbook, but that didn't seem likely. Failsafes were probably put in there to stop something like that from happening.

" **Hina or myself are usually in the locker room during the day. So she was probably avoiding it then." Sakura theorized.**

" **Avoiding it….?" Makoto repeated in confusion.**

" **Although we invited her to join us more than once, she never showed up." The martial artist explained. "So I can only assume she was trying to avoid us."**

" **And instead, she came to exercise in the middle of the night?" Makoto guessed.**

" **Perhaps. But's it difficult for me to imagine she would have come alone." Sakura said. "She did want to exercise, but she specifically mentioned she couldn't do it by herself. She needed support from others."**

" **So you're saying she could have come here in the middle of the night to train in secret…..but that she would have come with someone else." Makoto summarized.**

"That's certainly, plausible." Kyoko mused. She turned to the programmer in question. "Chihiro, would you have brought someone with you to help you exercise?"

Chihiro looked at the detective, her cheeks stained from crying. "Probably." She said weakly. She doubted she would have been able to exercise by herself since she had no idea where to start.

"So that would create one theory." Byakuya stated in thought. "Possibly, she asked someone to help exercise, and that someone used that opportunity to kill her."

"But who?" Celeste questioned. "That is the question we're wondering. Only the girls are able to go in the girls locker room, and I doubt she would ask me or Toko to help her."

"Are you saying that either Sakura or Hina are the only choices?" Taka questioned.

That had Hina protesting. "Hey wait a minute-"

"Let save the accusations for when the trials come," Kyoko suggested. "Pointing fingers now is going to lead nowhere." After a moment, the group began to settle down.

Meanwhile, an unpleasant feeling got into Makoto's head. He has a feeling that Sakura's account could pinpoint who the culprit is. For now, he ignored it, saving it for class trial like before. He'd rather not think on who could've done it.

" **It's a possibility, I think." Sakura agreed.**

 **As Makoto moved away from Sakura, Mondo spoke up, overhearing the conversation. "Dude had a real complex about being weak." The biker said sadly. "You heard Chihiro talk about it, right? All 'I need to get stronger!'"**

Kyoko made a note of Mondo's statement. True, Chihiro had been pretty insistent about getting stronger, but something else about that statement was just rubbing her off in the wrong way. She took a peek over at the biker, who seemed rather rigid for his usual self.

" **Yeah, I do remember she said that more than once…." Makoto agreed softly.**

" **Sure did." Mondo said. "Which….I guess explains the trip down here…."**

" **But….did she really need to get stronger that badly?" Makoto questioned. "You already mentioned it, but….she was a girl, after all. Most girls aren't all that strong."**

"That's true." Sakura admitted. "It took a lot of training for me to get my current form."

"I required a lot of training as well." Mukuro agreed.

Hina turned to Chihiro in concerned. "Chihiro….why did you want to get strong so badly?" In response, Chihiro merely looked away from her, not wanting to answer that.

" **I dunno, man. I haven't really thought about that stuff." Mondo admitted.**

 **Makoto frown to himself in thought.** ' _ **The cause of Chihiro's complex….I can't help wonder what it might be.'**_

' _It's because he's actually a boy.'_ Makoto, Leon, and Mondo thought, looking at one another. They all know that the cause of Chihiro's complex is due to her true gender.

" **Finally, I looked at Chihiro's body." The scene went to Makoto looking at the body itself.** ' _ **Another dead body….'**_ **Makoto thought, feeling sick.** ' _ **Chihiro's dead body….'**_

The others also felt sick, once again, at seeing another dead body. Chihiro buried her head in her feet, letting out small whimpers, while Mondo let out growls, the sight of Chihiro's dead body lighting up his rage.

"I don't think I'm gonna get used to seeing a dead body." Hina said, looking ready to hurl. "Especially one of my friend's."

"Yeah." Makoto agreed with the swimmer.

"Trust me. No one ever does." Kyoko said, Mukuro nodding in confirmation in the back.

 **Byakuya then spoke up from beside him. "But the more I look, the more strange it all seems. This must be Genocide Jack's work."**

"Oh, so this is a copy of my handiwork!" Jack stated, staring at the crime scene with interest. Then she laughed hysterically. "Well, I'm flattered that they tried to copy my murders! But also offended! I mean, they didn't even use anything sharp to do the killing let alone scissors! This is an insult!"

"Shut the fuck up, you damn psychopath!" Mondo growled threateningly. The fact that Genocide Jack is a girl, as well as the chains that Spirit can summon, are the only things stopping him giving Jill a piece of his mind.

" **Well, but…."**

" **But we're still not sure he did it. Is that what you want to say?" Byakuya questioned. He then let out a small snicker. "I wonder about that…."**

"Byakuya seems dead set on pointing at Jill as the killer." Junko pointed out. "But why?"

"Why indeed." Byakuya agreed, wonder what his other is thinking. He could tell there's something his future self knows, that the others don't. But what exactly is it?

Jill let out a dreamy sigh. "Oh, master! You must think so highly of me!"

"As I would a roach." Byakuya muttered in remark.

 **After a small moment, he spoke up again. "Now I believe it's about time for us to move on."**

" **Huh? Already?" Makoto asked in surprise.**

" **New clues won't magically appear by standing around here." Byakuya said in response. "We need to check every aspect of this case."**

" **Th-That's true, but…."**

 **The heir didn't let him finish. "If you're satisfied, let's hurry up and proceed." With that, he walked out of the room.**

' _ **He's so….pushy.'**_ **Makoto couldn't help but think.** ' _ **I got caught up with the wrong person this time….'**_

' _No doubt there.'_ Several people thought simultaneously. None of them would want to have Byakuya as their partner, that's for sure.

 **With that thought, he followed him out the girls' locker room, and stopped at the outer locker room. "So, this is our next location." Byakuya stated.**

" **Huh? This place is related to the investigation?" Makoto asked in confusion.**

" **Figure it out for yourself." Was the response given by Byakuya. "It's no fun if you don't, right?"**

"Or you could just tell him yourself." Sayaka grumbled. The accusations Makoto had to face in the previous chapter had lit up a protective side of her. So Byakuya's harsh attitude around Makoto made more than a bit angry.

 **Makoto thought silently for a moment before deciding to do what Byakuya said. As he looked at the card reader near the girls' locker room, a thought occured to him.** ' _ **Because of the card readers on here, only the guys can enter the boys' locker room and the girls in the girls' locker room.'**_ **He remembered.** ' _ **In other words, Chihiro's body being found in the girls' locker rooms means….'**_

"That one of the girls did it, correct?" Taka finished for Makoto. "Kyoko, Celeste, Hina, and Sakura."

Kyoko spoke up to that. "Like we said before, we need to wait until the trial starts before we start accusing people."

"Y-Yeah. So don't start accusing us!" Hina told Taka angrily.

 **That's when Byakuya spoke up. "I can see right through you, Makoto."**

 **That gain the luckster's attention. "See right….through me?"**

" **Allow me to tell you what you're thinking…." Byakuya began. "Since Chihiro was found in the girls' locker room, the killer must have been able to get in there. As such, the killer must be one of the girls. Did I get it right?"**

 **When Makoto nodded, Byakuya snorted. "Good lord, you're simple."**

"Wait, what?" Hiro said in confusion. "But he's right, isn't he? I don't see how else a guy could enter the girls' locker room."

"Without turning to swiss cheese." Leon added, remembering the machine gun.

" **But am I wrong?" Makoto asked him.**

" **You should pay closer attention to the regulations." The heir advised. "The answer has been in front of you the entire time. 'Loaning your e-Handbook is strictly prohibited'. Only the act of 'loaning' a handbook is prohibited."**

Byakuya's eyes lit up in realization. "So that's what my future self saw…." Kyoko and Celeste realized this as well, understanding hitting their faces.

Most of the others, however, didn't. "Okay, so borrowing isn't forbidden. So what? It still needs to be loaned by somebody, doesn't it?"

"Not if you borrow it from a corpse." Celeste retorted.

Understanding now dawned on Makoto's face. "So we could borrow the E-handbook of our dead friends?"

"Precisely." Byakuya confirmed.

"But we don't know if it's possible to access those E-handbooks." Sakura countered. "Where would they be at now?"

"The future Byakuya may know." Kyoko theorized. "Otherwise, he wouldn't be so confident on his theory." Byakuya nodded his head in agreement to this.

 **At that point, Monokuma popped, laughing evilly. "I would expect nothing less from the prodigal son of the noble Togami family! So you managed to sniff out the loophole in the regulations!"**

"And Monokuma's statement confirms this." Celeste stated.

"But where are the E-handbooks?" Taka questioned.

"We'll probably see for ourselves soon." Mukuro stated.

" **Knowing you, I would bet you created it on purpose didn't you? To add a little more excitement to things." Byakuya deduced.**

 **Monokuma let out a cry. "You're treating like a puny little appetizer instead of the main course that I aim! Now then, since the dead can't actually talk, they're not people anymore - they're things! Got it? Got it? Good."**

"Would people stop calling us things?" Leon growled in frustration. He's getting tired of that crap!

" **Wait, hold on…." Makoto protested. "You're saying that's a loophole, but in order to borrow something from someone, then….that means someone would have to loan it, so….uhh…."**

" **So sleepy…." Monokuma said in slight frustration. "Just listening to you makes me wanna pass out! Be more like Byakuya and get your poop together! Or else I'll charge you with criminal negligence!"**

' _How am I supposed to know that our late friends' E-handbooks could be accessed somewhere?'_ Makoto thought in slight annoyance.

" **No more questions! Figure out the rest your own damn self!" With that, the bear left.**

" **Well, I know you are unfortunately lacking in mental capabilities, so I'll fill you in myself." Byakuya told him. "Let's head to the main hall."**

" **The main hall….?" Makoto said in confusion.**

" **That'll help you understand what's going on." Was all the heir said.**

 **As the scene switched to the main hall, the narrator Makoto spoke. "So, I went to the main hall, to see what Byakuya and Monokuma meant. And what I found…."**

 **Makoto looked at the mailbox here, and opened, revealing three E-handbooks. "...was the E-handbooks."**

' _ **Three E-handbooks?'**_ **Makoto exclaimed in his head.** ' _ **But what are they doing here?'**_

"Wait a minute…." Makoto said slowly. "Are these Sayaka's, Leon's, and Mukuro's E-handbooks?"

That caught the others in surprise. "Why do you think it's ours?" Sayaka asked.

"Cause I don't see why Monokuma would have other handbooks available." Was Makoto's answer. "I mean, there's no one there but us, right?"

"A good point." Kyoko agreed. And if Makoto is correct on this, this creates a good theory as to who did it and what happened.

" **So, you finally found them." Byakuya spoke up from behind Makoto.**

" **Huh?" The luckster turned towards the heir. "Did you know these were here, Byakuya?"**

" **I happen to find them by chance myself the other day." Byakuya answered.**

Celeste narrowed her eyes. Something is telling her that Byakuya knows something the others don't. His response is too suspicious.

" **It seems there's a system in place where the handbooks of dead students get 'delivered' into the mailbox."**

 **Makoto's eyes widen at this. "So then, these three handbooks belong to Junko, Leon, and Sayaka?"**

" **You can go ahead and confirm it yourself." At Byakuya's suggestion, Makoto immediately turned one of them on. And when he did, it reveal Sayaka's full name.**

"So it looks Makoto's theory is correct." Kyoko mused out loud. And this little info gave her a suspect as to who killed Chihiro.

"So, does that mean a guy could go to the girls' locker room using those?" Hifumi questioned.

"That seems to be the case." Sakura answered. "Which means anyone could've murdered Chihiro."

"Oh, man! We're back at square one!" Hiro complained.

"As if the trial would be easy." Byakuya scoffed.

" **You're right! This is Sayaka's handbook!" Makoto exclaimed.**

" **Now do you understand?" Byakuya asked. "This is the key to the loophole that I revealed earlier."**

" **Yeah, I feel like I'm starting to get it…." Makoto confirmed. He thought about Byakuya's words back at the locker room once more.** ' _ **I see….yeah, now I understand.'**_

 **As Makoto put Sayaka's handbook back, Byakuya noticed something. "Hm? Hold on a second…."**

" **What's wrong?" Makoto asked curiously.**

" **That's strange." Byakuya murmured loudly. "One of the handbooks won't turn on."**

"Huh?" Hiro questioned in confusion. "It broke, somehow?"

"But, they're suppose to be unbreakable!" Hina exclaimed. "How did one break? And which one break?"

"You know what? That's a good question." Junko remarked. She designed those handbooks to be unbreakable! Who managed to break it?

" **Is it broken? Who is it?" Makoto inquired.**

" **The other handbook showed Junko's name when I started it up." Byakuya informed him.**

" **Then the one that won't turn on must be….Leon's, right?" Makoto deduced.**

" **It would make sense, yes." Byakuya agreed. "After all, he did get plummeted with dozens and dozens of baseballs."**

The air grew cold at the reminder of Leon's execution. "Yeah….that would make sense…." Makoto said, a bit pale at the reminder.

A short and cold silence hung in the air until Jill processed what had happened.

Jill tilted her head. "Pelted with baseballs?" She tapped her chin in thought. "Creative. Never thought baseballs could be used to kill. This mastermind guy must more creative than I am."

"Probably more insane than you are." Mondo muttered. Jill, hearing that, scoffed.

"Oh, come on! No one is more insane than mwah!"

Junko's eyes glinted at that statement. ' _Challenge accepted!'_

' _ **Pummeled with baseballs….'**_ **At the reminder of Leon's death, memories of his execution flashed into Makoto's mind. Being dragged out of the trial room, chained up, pelted with hundreds and hundreds of baseballs….**

The memory flashes brought more chills among the group. Leon clenched his fist tightly at the scene, shaking a little, while the guilt from Sayaka increased. She made a point to look away from Leon.

Makoto, while still pale, looked at both of his friends in concern. He really hopes that they can talk about this to each other soon. He doesn't want this tense situation to continue between them.

 **Shaking the image out of his head, he responded back. "You're right. It wouldn't be surprising for the handbook to break during that kind of assault."**

 **That's when Monokuma popped up. "Hey, hey!" He began angrily. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! HEEEY!"**

That startled the others. "What does he wants now?" Hina questioned in frustration.

" **Wh-What….?" Was all Makoto could say, startled.**

" **That e-Handbook is essential to student life here! Crucial, integral, instrumental, a super big deal!" Monokuma exclaimed. "There's no way it would break that easily!"**

"But it broke, didn't it?" Hifumi pointed out. "There's no way around that."

" **But it did…." Makoto pointed out.**

" **If it I say it wouldn't break, it wouldn't freakin' break!" Was Monokuma's retort. "It can withstand up to ten tons of pressure, and it's waterproof up to one hundred meters, okay?! I don't care how many baseballs you hit with it, it wouldn't do crap!"**

"Then how the hell did Leon's brake, huh?!" Mondo exclaimed, his tone angrier than usual when dealing with the bear.

" **Oh, but uh…." His expression then turned sheepish. "Even my amazing handbook have one single weak point."**

That definitely got the other's attention.

"Huh?"

"It does?"

"What is it?"

Before more questions could be asked, Kyoko spoke up. "Calm down. It'll probably be explain during the investigation or trial." Though honestly, she has an idea as to what the weakness. It would explain a certain policy put in place at the sauna.

" **It does?" Makoto said in surprise.**

 **Before he could ask, Monokuma stated, "But it's a secret! I wouldn't want you to breaking any more handbooks!"**

"Oh come on!" Junko exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "That's such a lame excuse!" She was a little annoyed that her future self kept this from her, but it did make things less boring. It must have been a later change considering she hadn't thought of it yet.

"Yeah! Why would any of us break our handbooks on purpose?" Hina agreed with the fashionista.

" **Then Leon must have broken it somehow without realizing what its weakness was, right?" Byakuya theorized.**

" **Hmm…." The bear put his paw on his chin in thought. "Hard to say! You know what I think? I think his handbook isn't actually broken!"**

"Huh?" Was the response made by several people. Mondo then spoke up for all of them. "Is the fucking bear playing with us?"

"It's really hard to tell." Celeste sighed. She really wished the mastermind actually showed themselves. It's near impossible to read a mechanical bear!

Meanwhile, Kyoko silently took down everyone's statements. She could feel the pieces slowly coming together, but it still wasn't enough to prove beyond a doubt who the killer is.

" **But, you might ask, how could that be?!" With that, he left, leaving the question hanging in the air.**

"Hey!" Hina shouted, shaking her fist. "Get back here and explain everything to us properly!"

"Save your breath. Even if he could hear you, I doubt he would answer." Byakuya remarked. "At worst, he would just spout more incoherent nonsense."

"Man, I hate riddles!" Jill huffed. "Snipping and stabbing adorable boys is much more simple!"

"Can you please stop talking about killing, Ms. Jill?" Taka pleaded.

 **After a moment of silence, the luckster spoke. "What just happened?" He looked at the e-Handbook in his hand. "Monokuma said it's not broken. But it's an undeniable fact that it's not turning on."**

" **Well, I don't see any connection to the case, so it doesn't matter for now." Byakuya told him.**

' _ **You think so?'**_ **Makoto remarked in his mind.** ' _ **Either way, something about it still bothers me….'**_

"It'll probably be something to keep in mind." Kyoko stated, noting that down.

"I agree." Said the affluent progeny. "After all, if it wasn't important, we wouldn't shown this." Makoto nodded in agreement as well.

" **Okay then, this should be enough to get things rolling." Byakuya said, partly to himself. "Let's begin our investigation in earnest and track down the true culprit."**

" **Yeah. We need to find out who killed Chihiro!" Makoto said in determination.**

' _Damn straight!'_ Mondo thought in anger. Once they find the bastard who did it, they better have a good explanation as to why they killed Chihiro!

 **Byakuya, however, thought differently. "To be exact...not quite."**

' _ **Huh?'**_ **Makoto thought in confusion. "What do you mean by, 'not quite'?"**

" **Certainly I want to reveal Chihiro's killer," The heir slightly correct himself. "But more precisely….I want to discover the true identity of Genocide Jack."**

"Oh, master!" Jill sighed dreamily. "You so desperately want to meet me!"

"As if." Byakuya muttered. He wished that the serial kill stayed in that disgusting head of hers.

 **That surprised Makoto a bit. "So, you truly believe that Genocide Jack is the one that killed Chihiro?"**

" **Absolutely." Byakuya answered. "I have no doubt that Genocide Jack is the culprit of the case. And I have a basis to believe that. I assure you, Genocide Jack is one of us."**

Kyoko narrowed her eyes. She wondered why Byakuya is determine to point fingers at Genocide Jack. It could be because of the arrangement made, and his own arrogance lead him to think that he found the answer, but she doubts it. Something is telling her that it's something else.

" **Is there really proof….?" Makoto questioned with a bit of doubt.**

" **There's somewhere I want to take you." The heir told him. "This will provide all the evidence you need. Evidence that Genocide Jack is the one that killed Chihiro!"**

"Sorry to disappoint you master, but, for once, I'm not the killer!" Jack stated.

"Yeah. We all realize that." Hiro sighed. "Still, what this evidence Byakuya's talking about?"

' _Probably at the library.'_ Byakuya mused to himself. That place is a treasure cove of information and apparently, that's the only other place where he would go to.

' _ **Evidence….'**_ **Makoto frowned at this.** ' _ **Does something like that really….?'**_

 **Before he could finish that thought, a shout drew their attention. "Ah! Hey, you two!" Said two turned their heads to see Hina jogging towards them, looking panicked. "Big trouble! Need your help!"**

Her panic expression made the group nervous. "Why is she's panicking, of all of sudden?" Hifumi asked nervously.

"Did Genocide Jack do something already?" Hiro guessed, just as nervous. "Like murder somebody?"

The girl in question answer that. "I only killed adorable boys, remember? And most of you aren't up to my standards."

"I still don't know if I should be relieved or angry." Hiro admitted.

"Try relieved." Leon remarked. He wouldn't want that psycho trying to kill him, or chase after him. He's already have enough of that with his cousin.

" **We're busy. Leave us alone!" Was Byakuya's curt reply.**

" **But it's an emergency….! Emergency!" She exclaimed in panic. "C'mon, please! You gotta help me!"**

" **Just calm down, okay Hina?" Makoto attempted to calm down the girl.**

 **Unfortunately, his words fell flat in her ears. "But….but….! It's an e-mer-gen-cyyy!"** **She stated, emphasizing the emergency part. "Something's wrong with Toko. She's acting super strange!"**

"Strange?" Junko cocked an eyebrow at that. "But wasn't she already acting strange, when Genocide Jack took over?"

"You panic over the littlest of things, honestly." Celeste sighed. That drew a pout from the swimmer.

' _ **Well, I mean….she was acting pretty strange earlier, right?'**_ **Makoto thought to himself. Reluctantly, he turned to the heir. "...What should we do, Byakuya?"**

" **Since it's Toko….I must admit, I'm intrigued." Byakuya admitted. "I suppose we can take a second to see what's going with her."**

That caught the group attention. "Did you just say what we think you just said?" Leon questioned.

"You're actually interested in Toko?" Hina asked in disbelief.

Byakuya himself was surprised for a brief moment, until figuring out why. He must have somehow knew of Toko's alternate identity. This whole thing was a huge misunderstanding. He sighed, things are going to get a lot more annoying.

"Why be interested in my gloomy side?" Jill huffed. "You should be more interested in meeeeee!"

"Trust me, I hold you both with equal interest: Which is little to none." Byakuya snarked.

The serial killer sighed at that. "Still playing hard to get. However, I will not give up on you!"

The heir sighed, just wondering what did he do to earn this.

" **Are you sure?" The luckster asked him.**

 **His response was a bland look. "Don't make me repeat myself." Byakuya told him.**

' _ **I….didn't expect that.'**_ **Makoto thought in slight bewilderment.** _ **I thought for sure he'd just say no, and that'd be the end of it.'**_

"Yeah, we thought so too." Junko stated. "Think he knows about Genocide Jack or something?"

"Who the fuck cares?" Mondo growled. "Shouldn't they focus on the fuckin investigation?"

"Calm down, Mondo." Makoto tried to placate the biker. "Remember that she's connected to the crime. She might give us something that could help us."

Mondo sighed, but settled down. "Fine."

" **Okay, okay, come on! Hurry!" With that statement, Hina rushed off to the dorms.**

" **W-Wait for us, Hina!" Makoto ran after her, while Byakuya merely walked.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto and Byakuya arriving to the dorms, the former holding his knees and breathing a bit heavily. "You guys are too slow!" Hina scolded.**

" **I think you're just….too fast…." Makoto breathed out.**

"No argument there." Leon snorted. "Makes me wonder if your family are running in caffeine too." Hina chuckled sheepishly at that.

" **So? What's this emergency?" Byakuya asked her.**

" **Well, after what happened in the girls locker room, we left Toko in her room so she could lay down." Hina explained. "After a while, we came back to check on her. Ya know, see how she was doing. But when we did….it was weird. She refused to come out, and she kept saying all this weird stuff."**

 **That caught Makoto's interest. "Weird stuff….?"**

" **We should try talking to her ourselves." Byakuya suggested.**

" **Y-Yeah, good idea." He nervously went over to Toko's door.** ' _ **Might as well give it a shot….'**_

 **Makoto pressed the doorbell, and waited. After a moment, the door slowly opened, and Toko showed her head through the crack, shaking.**

"Holy shit!" Leon choked. The others were also gasped, startled. "I can feel the negativity from here!"

"It's like poison trying to go into your lungs." Hifumi stated.

"It's almost making me depressed." Junko admitted. Honestly, she's feeling jealous of Toko right now.

" **...What?" Toko spoke, both rudely and nervously.**

" **Oh, um…." Makoto stammered, trying to compose himself. "Nothing. It's just that….Hina was really worried about you, holing yourself up in your room…."**

" **Leave me a-alone…." Was Toko's reply.**

" **Um, yeah, sure thing…." Makoto replied back. "But….could you open up, just for a second….?"**

 **She was silent for a moment before her shaking increased. "Won't a-allow it….."**

" **Huh….?"**

" **I w-won't let Genocide Jack have control!" With that statement, she slammed the door in her face.**

In her response, Jill blew a raspberry at her other personality. "You sore loser!"

"Well, that's going to make her more of a suspect." Leon sighed. "Makes me wonder how no one found out about her sooner."

"Since she's reclusive by nature, she wasn't near anyone that would be able to figure it out. In addition to that, she only comes out when Toko loses consciousness." Kyoko explained. "Once she came here, and befriended all of us, the secret would've come out eventually."

"Especially since you're a detective." Sayaka pointed out. Kyoko nodded.

"That too."

" **Wh-What was that….?" Makoto questioned nervously, as well as in slight beffudlement.**

" **She's been acting like that the whole time." Hina explained. "When I rang, she said something about driving out the killer. It doesn't make sense, right?"**

"It does when you add multiple personalities into the equation." Mukuro pointed out. "Though I doubt that most of us would consider the factor."

"Yeah. Didn't even think about it until Kyoko and Byakuya told us." Hina admitted.

" **I was afraid to leave her in there alone, so I tried to bust down her door, but it felt like something was holding it shut on the other side. I couldn't even budge it…."**

 **Makoto looked at the door in concern.** ' _ **Toko was scared enough to even bar her door….?'**_ **The luckster thought to himself.** ' _ **Does she think the same thing as Byakuya? Does she really think the serial killer Genocide Jack really murdered Chihiro?'**_

"Yeah, she probably thought that once she saw the bloodlust logo." Jill stated nonchalantly. "Didn't even think about the fact that I didn't use my wonderful scissors!"

"Or maybe she was terrified that you got out when she fainted." Sakura added. "Probably a mixture of both."

' _ **Is that's why Toko so scared….?'**_

" **Whatever it is, I'm really worried about her…." Hina said, concern clear in her voice. "Isn't there anyone who might be able to persuade her….?"**

At that question, the group slowly turned to the heir himself. He huffed in response.

"It's unlikely." Byakuya stated. "We don't have the time we did before to coax her out of there."

When Jill first appeared during their time at Hope's Peak, Toko did the same thing as her future counterpart and barricaded herself in her room. It took quite a bit of coaxing from Makoto and Byakuya to get her out of ther.

"A good point." Taka admitted reluctantly. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to try!"

 **At that question, Hina and Makoto slowly turned to Byakuya. "Hey, Byakuya…." Makoto began hesitantly. "You think you could ask her? To come out of her room, I mean."**

 **Byakuya was silent for a moment. Then, he said. "Fine, whatever."**

" **Huh? You're gonna talk to her, Byakuya?" Hina asked in slight surprise. "Wow, I guess you can be nice when you want to!"**

"I have a feeling you're gonna be taking those words back." Junko sighed. "I just know it."

"It is Byakuya we're talking about." Hiro added in. The guy probably doesn't even know the meaning!

 **He ignored her and went in front of her door without a sound. After pressing the doorbell, after a few moments, Toko opened it once again. "Leave me alone! You're all s-s-s-so annoying…."**

 **When she realized who she was talking to, she gasped in shock. "Backula!"**

That got some people bursting out laughing. "Backula?" Leon wheezed out. "She seriously called you that?"

"That's hilarious, dude!" Hiro gasped. Sayaka took great pleasure in laughing at Byakuya, while even Mondo and Chihiro let out snickers and giggles, respectively.

"How mature of you all." Byakuya dryly remarked in slight irritation.

" **It's Byakuya…." The heir corrected her.**

 **Toko was silent for a moment before speaking again. "I-I'm sorry. I couldn't k-keep our promise…." She apologized shamefully. "But don't w-worry. Never again…."**

" **I….! I won't let Genocide Jack have control ever again!" With that, she closed the door once again.**

The mention of a promise stopped the remaining laughter. "What on earth is she talking about?" Celeste questioned with furrowed eyebrows. "A promise?"

"Do you think she told Byakuya about Genocide Jack?" Mukuro theorized. "Is that why he's so confident about Jack being the killer?"

"It could be." Byakuya admitted. "Or it could be one of Toko's ridiculous delusions."

"Do you want to hear about some of my fantasies, master?" Jill asked eagerly. "Some of them are very steamy!"

"No." The heir said flatly.

" **Even Byakuya couldn't pull it off…." Hina said sadly.**

" **There's nothing we could do. Let's get back to the investigation." Byakuya said shortly.**

" **H-Hold on!" Makoto protested. He turned to Byakuya. "What was Toko talking about just now? Something about a promise?"**

" **Hm? Oh, I have no idea." Byakuya said dismissively. "Another one of her delusions, I'm sure."**

' _It's probably that.'_ Kyoko thought to herself. ' _But I'm not sure. Byakuya is definitely hiding something.'_ While she isn't sure Byakuya is the killer (Mondo is high on her suspect list), she's sure he's involved somehow.

" **B-But…."**

" **If I say I don't know, that means I don't know." Byakuya cut off. "Just let Hina take care of her."**

" **O-Oh….yeah, okay." Hina agreed. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on her."**

" **Well then, let's go." Byakuya then speed walk towards his destination.**

" **B-Byakuya!" And Makoto hurried to catch up with him.**

"You really chose the wrong the person to partner up with, Mr. Naegi." Hifumi stated.

"Hey!" Makoto protested. "It's not like I had a choice!"

"Hmph. You should be honored that I decided to give you my attention." Byakuya scoffed arrogantly.

"Yeah, right. Honor." Sayaka muttered to herself.

"Alright. So, what evidence do we have so far?" Taka interjected, turning towards Kyoko.

The detective didn't hesitate to answer. "We have the blood written word, BLOODLUST, the dumbbell covered with blood, and the bloodstain on the floor. We also have Sakura's and Mondo's accounts, as well as the e-Handbooks from the deceased."

"Let's not forget the fact that one of them is broken." Byakuya pointed out. "As well as what Monokuma told us. Those would probably be instrumental in the trial."

"That seems like all the evidence so far." Makoto mused. "I wonder how much we got left to find."

"We will see." Celeste stated.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys like this chapter, and I hope that, like all the other chapters, this one stays true to the characters. Hopefully, the next chapter will finish off the investigations. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: In other news... AWWW YEAH I finished V3! It wasn't the ending I expected or asked for, but oh well. That was a really nice despair ride and I quite enjoyed being in the dark again with the new game. Anyone who hasn't played it yet definitely has to play it. Don't even watch it on Youtube, experiencing it first hand makes it so much better.**


	36. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P12

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here, this will be the second part of the investigation, right before the trials. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Questions section:**

 **Q: Can you make the past discuss about the future Makoto's sudden intellect in the cases?  
L: It's not that he suddenly gets smarter in the class trials, Makoto really does have more intelligence than he seems on the outside. Whether he's conscious of it or not, he still has that "I'm onto something" feeling whenever he starts to figure something out, and he's usually right about it once he gets to the end of that feeling. Although, whether one wants to call that intelligence or intuition, is beyond me :P**  
 **S: I would say intelligence, with a bit of intuition.**

 **Q:** **I've been wondering, will you be showing the ending credits? Where a group picture if the group is revealed with the killed classmates appearing in it? I think it would be a cool feature to add in.  
** **L: I don't exactly remember when the first picture shows up, but I believe it's after the second trial.**  
 **S: If you're talking about the anime end credits, then no, I probably won't. There's not really any reason to do so, merely just reminder of who's dead.**

 **Note: Late update is on me (A Lucky Soldier). Going into a new school semester meant adjusting to a new work schedule, and that also meant adjusting around the extra curriculars and hobbies I had to settle down. I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting too long, but here's the next chapter!**

Chapter 35: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 12

" **I tried to talk to him several times as he walked…." The narrator Makoto stated, the scene showing Makoto trying to do just that. "But he didn't even look back, let alone say anything. He just kept walking towards his destination. Finally, we stopped at the second floor, inside the library. But it wasn't the library itself that Byakuya wanted to show me. The place he wanted to show…."**

 **The camera switched to Byakuya opening the room inside the library, which is filled several books and files**. "Was the archive." Byakuya said in unison with the narrator.

"The archive?" Leon repeated with a raised eyebrow. "You're interested in that old room?"

"Indeed." Byakuya replied back. Soon as he saw the archive, he quickly figured out what his future self want to show Makoto.

" **Whoa! There are so many books and files." Makoto muttered in awe. Then he started coughing once the dust enter his lungs. "And so much dust, too."**

" **I would say there's enough value in this place to endure the dust." Byakuya remarked.**

"Why? What's so valuable about it?" Leon questioned. Due to the opening of the new school building, most of Class 78th didn't really have a chance to explore the archive. Except for one student.

"You will see." Byakuya stated. "The information in the archive might surprise you."

 **Makoto then moved over to the one with the files.** ' _ **The shelf is packed tightly with files….'**_ **He then picked out a random file.**

 **That caused Byakuya to then speak up. "Ah, you have a sharp eye indeed to select that file."**

" **...Huh?"**

" **That's the report on a presidential assassination." The heir informed him casually. "The original kept at a national library."**

The mention of the topic surprised everyone. "Say whaaaa?!" Hifumi exclaimed, voicing everyone's thoughts. "A presidential assassination?!"

"H-He's joking, right?" Hiro hesitantly.

"No, I can assure you that he isn't joking." Byakuya assured him. "Now do you understand the value of that room? Of those files?"

Leon gulped. "Um, yeah, I think we're getting a clear picture." He was going to ask why such things were in the archive, but held himself back when he pictured Byakuya's response to his question.

" **It won't be declassified for another thirty years. Are you sure you want to look at it now?" A smirk formed on his face. "There's no telling who's crosshairs you might wind up in for peeking in it…."**

" **..." Makoto slowly put the file back into the shelf, without saying a word.**

"Wise choice, Makoto." Celeste stated, with several nods of agreement. With his luck, just touching the file would possibly get him into big trouble.

" **As I looked at each shelf, Byakuya finally told me what's in here." Narrator Makoto stated as the camera moved to each shelf. "Classified government documents, police records, names of the most important people….things that no normal person would ever see."**

"The hell?" Mondo cursed, mouth agape. Even Chihiro is temporarily distracted by the information given to them, her slightly red eyes wide with shock. "That kinda shit is in a school?"

"Hope's Peak is really that influential?" Taka questioned.

"So it would seem." Kyoko mused. Who knew that Hope's Peak Academy would have that kind of information, in the library of all places?

" **This….can't be for real, right?" Makoto asked, in slight disbelief.**

 **That earned a scoff. "That's your guys problem. Anything that doesn't fit into your preconceived reality, you label it a lie."**

" **Well, it's not that." Makoto reteirieted. "It's just….it's not like I totally refuse to believe it, but, I mean, there's just so much. How could anyone have put all this together?"**

"Hope's Peak did have ties to the government." Kyoko remembered. "We just didn't know how strong those ties were."

"Yeah. No kidding, there." Leon snorted.

" **I suppose it goes to show just how much power Hope's Peak truly wields." Byakuya mused. "Or perhaps, the mastermind may have wanted to provide us with enough entertainment to keep us from getting bored."**

"He has some messed up views of entertainment!" Hina stated, horrified.

"This killing game, clearly tells us this, Hina." Celeste remarked, her voice a bit dry.

' _ **U-Um….'**_ **Makoto shook his head.** ' _ **It's no use. I can't keep up with all of this. It's just too unreal….'**_

"I don't blame you." Kyoko said softly. "It's not something most people will be able to process properly." Several of the others nodded in agreement.

" **What's wrong? You still can't believe it?" Byakuya questioned.**

" **What about you?" Makoto shot back. "How can you believe it so easily? Things like that are usually impossible…."**

" **What do you mean, usually?" Byakuya asked him, frowning. "Usual? Normal, ordinary, simple? Those things don't exist anywhere in the real world. If you don't understand what they actually represent, you don't understand the nature of anything."**

' _ **You don't pull your punches, do you….?'**_ **Makoto thought blankly.**

"No. No he does not." Taka agreed.

"I would be surprised if Mr. Pompous actually does do that." Junko sighed.

" **Besides, what you consider 'usual' is based on your common sense, right?" The heir continued. "But what makes you think your own 'common sense' applies to me at all? The documents gathered here are genuine. I have reviewed them multiple time, so there is no doubt."**

"What?!" Taka exclaimed, shock and aghast. "You read classified government information?!"

"As well as the police records?!" Hina added in.

" _Multiple_ times?" Sayaka concluded.

"Yes." Byakuya confirmed, not perturbed at the least. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, something is definitely wrong!" Taka stated, glaring at the heir. "That information is restricted to the government and law enforcement! You shouldn't be reading those, even with your status as the heir of the Togami family!"

"Oh, on the contrary, it's because of my status as a heir that I'm allowed to read this." Byakuya shot back, shocking the others.

"W-What?" Chihiro stuttered out.

 **That caused Makoto's eyes to widen. "H-Hold on a second!" He stated. "You're saying you've read all these documents, and more than once?! But….all this has to be like top secret, confidential stuff, right? So why….?"**

 **His was response was this. "My family has a reading room just like this at our home. Ours is bigger, of course. And not as dusty."**

"...What did the asshole say just now?" Mondo questioned in disbelief. He wasn't the only one shocked by this, everyone else sat there agape in shock.

"His family have these kinds of files?" Hina breathed out in shock. "And even more of it?"

 **Makoto blink in pure befuddlement. "Huh….?"**

" **Members of the Togami family have access to any variety of government-related documents." Byakuya informed him. "That includes foreign powers as well as domestic."**

" **H-How is that possible….?" Makoto shakily asked.**

' _That's what we want to know!'_ Was the incredulous thought of just about everyone.

" **There's a secret council that controls the world from the shadows, that has the real power." Byakuya informed him. "My father is a member of that council. And I have within me the bloodline that will allow me to one day bend the world to my will…."**

That stunned several of the people here, their mind trying to process the information given to them. Even Kyoko and Celeste are shocked at the amount of influence given to the Togami family line, and had to will themselves to keep their individual masks on.

Finally, after a moment of silence, Jack was the one to speak. "Wow! My master is even cooler than ever!"

"Cooler? More like scary!" Hiro exclaimed, looking freaked out.

"H-How come you never told any of us?" Makoto asked the Togami heir.

"Cause I have no reason to." Byakuya replied with an eye roll. "There wasn't a point in any conversation I had that I needed to bring it up, so I didn't." While he loves to boast, he's not a fool. He doesn't tell anyone that kind of information unless he have reasons to.

Which makes him wonder why his future self revealed such information to Makoto. Sure, Makoto is probably one of the few people he actually respects, possibly even calling him a friend, but he wouldn't reveal that kind of info lightly.

" **But to become such a ruler, I must he know all levels of this world backwards and forwards." He continued. "So whenever I have time, I like to review whatever documents and materials that interest me. Which is why I can proclaim, without a doubt, that the materials gathered here are the real thing."**

 **Makoto could only stare at Byakuya.** ' _ **This is beyond believing or not believing.'**_ **He thought.** ' _ **Byakuya is actually starting to scare me more than the actual mastermind….'**_

"Yeah, no kidding." Hina agreed shakily. "I don't want to imagine a world where Byakuya is ruling it."

"I don't think any of us does." Leon remarked.

Byakuya, in response, smirked at this. While he isn't planning to become a tyrannical dictator, it was an interesting response.

" **And what always interested me the most were the most were the 'cold case' police investigations reports." Byakuya told him. "Reading through those reports has always been a hobby of mine, ever since I was little."**

"That's a hobby of yours?" Junko asked in confusion. "I would've thought it would a hobby of Kyoko's."

"You don't have to be a detective to be interested in cold cases." Byakuya said with an eye roll.

" **It's an excellent mental exercise. I've solved more than a few of those cases just by reviewing the reports. And among all those reports, one of my recent favorites, is the Genocide Jack case."**

"Genocide Jack?" Mondo looked at the blonde Togami heir incredulously. "You were actually interested in that psycho?"

"I was interested in the case itself, not the person." Byakuya clarified. "Especially now that I got to know her."

"Oh, master! Always washing me with compliments!" Jack sighed dreamily.

"How about stabbing you with insults?" Hiro muttered under his breath.

 **As he spoke, he picked out a heavy file from one of the shelves. "This is the complete case file." The heir displayed to the luckster. "Every single report surrounding the Genocide Jack case has been complied in here. Feel free to look at it in here, but you can't take it with you."**

 **With that, Byakuya handed him the file and Makoto began flipping through, with tense, nervous fingers. He stopped when reached a certain page. "In those files, I saw the collected pictures of each crime scene." Makoto narrated. "The names of each victim ran on for several pages."**

 **As he spoke, pictures and names of the victims were shown. "Ken Harada, Tetsuhiro Honda, Shoji Gaku, Kanno Isei, Takeshi Yoshida….the list just ran on."**

As the narrator spoke, and as they saw each scene, the group began to feel more and more sick. Some covered their eyes, some looked close to barfing, some were just white as a sheet. Only Kyoko, Mukuro, Celeste, and Byakuya had neutral faces on. The first two because they've seen more than their share of grizzly stuff, Celeste because she doesn't want to show any weakness, and Byakuya because he seen the files more than once already.

"Ooooooh, a slideshow of all my kills!" Jill exclaimed eagerly. "My favorites are the younger ones, like Kanno! Those are always the more adorable!"

"Please, Jill, just stop talking." Makoto pleaded, looking pretty pale. He's pretty sure the images will burn inside his head for a long while. It's probably the same for everyone else.

" **The next thing I saw was profiling results, where it explains that all of the crimes all the crimes took take at either weekdays at night, or during holidays, during day or night." Narrator Makoto continued. "That the most common time for the killings were during the holidays, which suggest that the suspect may be a student. They linger on for a moment before, but when they leave, they're in a panic. The behavior suggested…."**

" **...that the suspect may potentially suffer from dissociative identity disorder." Makoto read out loud.**

" **The key point here is that the culprit may well have a split personality." Byakuya pointed out.**

' _ **A split personality….?'**_ **Makoto thought numbly.** ' _ **Like the kind of thing you see on TV? So I'm part of another unbelievable story….but this one way more unbelievable than anything else up till now.'**_

' _ **Or….maybe it really isn't.'**_ **He continued thinking, almost absentmindedly.** ' _ **I dunno, I feel like my mind has gone numb….'**_

That had the others concerned. "Are you okay, Makoto?" Sayaka asked in concern.

Makoto rubbed his head sheepishly at this. "Pretty sure. The amount of information given to him is probably too much for him to process. I still remember the first time I met Jill."

"I'm surprised you didn't faint." Junko remarked. "Would've thought you would hit the ground after all that."

"Makoto proves to be resilient whenever he needs to be." Kyoko stated.

" **Alright, we should get going soon." Byakuya spoke up.**

" **Huh?" Shaking off his numb state, he looked at the heir in confusion. "Where are we going?"**

" **Anywhere but here." Was his answer. "We finished our business here, haven't we?" With that, Byakuya left the room.**

" **Ah, wait! Byakuya!" And once again, Makoto hurried to catch up with him.**

 **The scene switched to the two coming out the library. "Well….this is where we part our ways." Byakuya told the luckster. "I have some things I need to take care of before the class trial."**

" **Huh? Just all of a sudden like that?" Makoto asked in surprise.**

 **In response, the heir merely looked at him in annoyance. "Come on, enough of your annoying misapprehensions. Did you really think we'd be together the whole time?" He asked in annoyance. "Take responsibility for yourself and do something useful. Move the investigation forward on your own." With that, he was gone.**

"Damn. He cut you off as fast as he pulled you in." Leon whistled.

"That's Byakuya for you." Makoto sighed, not really bothered by this. He got used to this kind of behavior from the affluent progeny.

Kyoko, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes. Byakuya invited Makoto into his investigation, then cut him off after showing him the Genocide Jack case? She can tell Byakuya is trying to lead him into a certain conclusion. Most likely that it was Genocide Jack that killed Chihiro.

But why is that? It was hard to make a conclusion from the limited perspective they were shown, but she still ran several theories through her head. She frowned when most of them came to two common conclusions.

 **Makoto just stood outside the library before remembering everything he found out.** ' _ **Genocide Jack….'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **He's the one that killed Chihiro. And that murderous fiend….is one of us!'**_

"Oh, come on!" Jill scoffed. "You make that sound as if it's a bad thing!"

"It is a-"

Before Taka could finish, Mondo covered his mouth. "Don't waste your breath, bro. This demon has no fucking morals." Mondo sighed.

' _ **But who is it….? I have to find out, no matter what it takes.'**_ **Makoto then began walking to the the pool area.** ' _ **And to do that, I need to check the girls locker room, one more time, as well as check the boys locker room, and see if there's anything the others have found out. Find out everything I can….'**_

"The boys locker room?" Taka questioned, slightly frowning. "Why would you need to work there?"

Makoto furrowed his eyebrow in thought before remembering something. "I think it has something to do with the posters…."

 **As Makoto began investigating, the narrator Makoto spoke up. "The first thing I noticed as investigated both locker rooms were the posters." He stated. The TV showed the luckster looking at both posters. "In the boys locker room was a poster of a boy band, Tornado, while in the girls locker room, was a swimsuit model."**

"It seems you are correct, Makoto." Kyoko said, narrowing her eyes and resting her chin on her fist as she began thinking. "And that is bizarre…."

"How so?" Sakura asked curiously. While she did go in that locker room frequently, she didn't really pay attention to the poster.

"Cause usually, you would see a swimsuit in the guys locker room, right?" Junko casually remarked, not caring that she's helping them out by saying it. "And the boy band in the girls locker room?"

"Yeah, it wouldn't make sense the other way around." Leon agreed. He knows he would rather look at the….developed, swimsuit model, than the boy band.

"So what, you think they were switched?" Mondo asked them.

"It's possible." Kyoko answered. But if they were switched, then that would open up a whole new line of questions.

" **After that, I went to ask Sakura about it, since she spends a lot of time at the locker room." The scene switched to Makoto talking to the martial artist. "Unfortunately, she didn't really payed attention to the poster. But there was one thing she noticed…."**

" **You see, I like to drink a little protein coffee every time I finish exercising." Sakura told him.**

" **We have protein coffee?" Makoto asked curiously.**

 **Sakura nodded. "In the warehouse. It's not the highest quality, but I don't have a lot of other options. I mix protein powder with coffee, and down a glass of it after exercising. Anyway, the other day, I spilled some on the carpet in the girls locker room, and it left a stain."**

" **A stain….?" Makoto looked at the carpet under them. "But I don't see a stain on the carpet now…."**

" **Exactly." Sakura stated. "I noticed it earlier - the stain has disappeared. I can only assume someone came along and cleaned it up. But still, isn't it unusually clean? As if there was never a stain to begin with…."**

The conversation drew the group's attention. "A stain….?" Taka repeated, furrowing his eyebrows. "Do you think it's the same stain in the boys locker room?"

"It probably is." Sakura said. "It's far too coincidental for it not to be."

"So does that mean the posters and carpets, along with anything else, were switched?" Sayaka asked. "But why?"

"It's something to figure out in the trial." Kyoko said. She has a feeling something is missing, something that would tie the entire case together.

Makoto, on other handle, figured out that someone most likely killed Chihiro in the boys locker room, and moved the programmer to the girls. It would make the most sense, and explain how Chihiro got inside the girls locker room. But who killed and tied up Chihiro is something he hasn't figured out yet.

Junko sighed as she figured out what had mostly happened in the case with her Ultimate Analyst abilities. " _Well, that was boring... guess the only thing left is who dunnit."_ She thought.

 **Makoto furrowed his eyebrows at the new information. But before he could think more on it, he spotted Kyoko leaving in the corner of his eyes. "Hey, Kyoko?" Makoto called out, stopping the girl. "Have you made any progress on your investigation?"**

 **The lavender haired girl turned around as Makoto walked over to her. "Generally speaking." She answered. "But I have to get going. I have something unrelated to take care of."**

" **Something besides the investigation….?" Makoto questioned with obvious confusion. "What….is it?"**

" **Nothing you need to worry about." She reassured. "Just concentrate on the murder."**

" **B-But…."**

" **Before I go, let me give you one piece of advice." Kyoko said, steering the conversation away.**

It was rather difficult to watch the detective be so rejecting. "You're changing the conversation." Byakuya pointed out. "What on earth do you have to hide?"

"Probably something that I can't say in front of a camera." Kyoko said. "Or that I can't trust anyone with."

"Even someone like Makoto?" Sayaka asked her with a frown, to which the detective responded with a sigh.

"It's not that I don't trust him, I just don't give my trust easily, Sayaka. You know that. Especially not in that kind of situation." She knows that she have little reason to not trust Makoto, but those trust issues doesn't shake off easily.

" **You should examine Chihiro's body one more time. Thoroughly." She advised. "Also, her handbook is missing. You might want to determine its whereabouts." She turned back around. "That is all. I'll be praying for your success." With that, she left the locker room.**

"Um, what does she mean by thoroughly?" Hifumi asked nervously.

"She probably means the rope and the head wound." Taka guessed. "I can't think of anywhere else she would look at."

' _I do….'_ Makoto thought. He knows how thorough Kyoko is when it comes to her investigation, and with the knowledge he knows about Chihiro, there's a high chance that his detective friend found out about Chihiro's true gender.

Judging by how tense Chihiro looks, she knows this as well.

Despite that, however, he isn't gonna say anything. And he knows Mono or Leon won't either. They'll respect the programmer's privacy till the end.

Like Makoto, Kyoko also knew that she meant something else. But doesn't quite know what exactly her future self wants Makoto to check. She would have to check the body herself to see what, and she doubt that Chihiro is in the mood to be touched right now. Or that Mondo would act calmly to the suggestion.

" **I guess I'll take another look at the body, then…." Mumbling to himself, he went over Chihiro's body. He grimaced at the site of the programmer's corpse. "I know she said 'thoroughly' but I do have my limits…."**

Chihiro, who was uncomfortable at the possibility of her secret getting revealed, slightly relaxed at Makoto's words. For now, she doesn't have to worry about that.

But in the back of her mind, she knows that the others would find out sooner or later.

 **He sighed. "Well, I'd better give it a shot anyway. Let's see…." As he inspected the body, he looked at the rope tied onto Chihiro.** ' _ **This rope was used to tie up Chihiro in this….crucifix position. But….huh?'**_ **He looked at the hanging part of the rope to see a plug.** ' _ **Wait a minute….this isn't rope! It's a plug!'**_

"A plug?" Celeste said in slight surprise. "Wait, isn't this the extension cord used in the library?"

"It is." Byakuya confirmed, his eyes narrowed. But why used that as rope? Was there nothing else to use?

That question was voiced by Mukuro. "Why a plug? Isn't there anything else suitable for the task?"

"Possibly not. Or they probably just went and got the closest thing to them to use as rope." Kyoko theorized. Personally, however, she suspects that Byakuya, at the very least, have something to do with the murder. There are too many red flags to dismiss him.

 **He then looked at the head wound.** ' _ **And the thing that killed her was a blow to the head….'**_ **He frowned as he thought about that.** ' _ **There's definitely something wrong with those two things….'**_

Jill scoffed. "Of course there's something wrong! My beautiful scissors wasn't used whatsoever! Just a plug and a heavy dumbbell!"

"Yeah, that's true." Makoto agreed. "This should help prove that the murderer isn't Genocide Jack."

"Agreed." Kyoko said with a nod.

" **After checking the locker room once again and the body, I went out." Narrator Makoto stated as Makoto left the room. "I was planning to check the Genocide Jack case file one more time when Hifumi told me that Celeste found something worthwhile."**

" **Really? What did she see?" Makoto inquired.**

" **She refused to tell me." Hifumi told him. "It's like when a girl bullies the boy she likes, right? Right?!"**

Leon snorted. "You wish, fatty."

' _Like I would have feelings for the idiot!'_ Celeste thought with slight disgust. At best, he's a pesky servant that wouldn't leave her alone.

 **Makoto decided to ignore the question. "Okay, so….where is Celeste now?"**

" **The warehouse by the dorms." The fanfic creator answered. "She was there, but at the same time….not there."**

"Huh?" Hina tilted her head in confusion. "What the heck does he mean by that?"

"Let's just consider it another of Hifumi's random dialogue." Byakuya sighed.

 **The narrator spoke up once again as Makoto left. "So, I went down to go and see what Celeste is doing, as well as what she knows." The scene switched to Makoto coming inside the warehouse, while Celeste is looking around.**

" **Celeste…." Makoto called out, drawing the gambler's attention. "What are you doing here?"**

" **This warehouse is amazing. It has absolutely everything one might need to live a full life." Celeste calmly gushed. "From food to clothes to towels….there's an endless supply to choose from."**

"You're avoiding the question." Kyoko pointed out. "Does this mean there's something you know?"

"It's quite possible." Celeste answered. What her future self knows is only something she could guess.

" **I see that, but….have you founding anything related to the case?" Makoto inquired.**

 **That got Celeste serious. "I knew you were going to ask me that." She said. "I thought talking to you about the warehouse itself might misdirect you, but I see it was pointless."**

"Why try to avoid the question in the first place?" Junko asked with a raised eyebrow. "Other than being the killer, there would be no reason for you to do that."

"I very much doubt that I'm the killer." Celeste dismissed. "But she probably knows something that would either make her a suspect, or because she doesn't trust the others with the information."

" **Then did you find something?" Makoto inquired.**

" **Very well. I will tell you, and only you." Celeste stated. "Last night, I saw her here….Chihiro was in the warehouse."**

That caught the others by surprise. "What, really?" Leon said in shock.

"Chihiro was at the warehouse?" Mondo questioned.

" **What?" Makoto's eyes widen in shock. "Really?!"**

" **This was right before nighttime." She began explaining. A flashback of the event began showing.**

" _ **Hm?" Celeste spotted Chihiro carrying a large duffle bag. "What are you doing out this late?"**_

 _ **Her question startled Chihiro a little. "Oh, um….I was just…."**_

" _ **Are you planning to go exercise, perhaps?"**_

" _ **What?!" The programmer exclaimed. "H-How did you know….?"**_

" _ **Because I can see a blue track jacket sticking out of the duffel bag you're carrying…."**_

" _ **Oh, you're right….thanks." Chihiro quickly stuffed the track jacket into the bag fully. "Well….I'd better get going. I'm kind of in a hurry."**_

" **And just like that, she was gone." Celeste finished.**

"So Chihiro was exercising during the night!" Hina exclaimed in realization.

"And it proves that Chihiro was killed in the locker room." Byakuya stated. "But who was with her, I wonder?"

"Most likely someone she trusted a lot." Kyoko deduced. "Either that, or someone spotted go there, and use that chance to kill her." But personally, she thinks it's the former. Cause there was no trace of the duffel bag nor the track jacket.

"Either way, it doesn't sound good." Leon said with a grimace.

" **I assumed she was merely stocking up to go exercise in the morning, but it appeared she ignored the nighttime rule, and headed directly to the girls locker room. If she hadn't broken our rule, none of this would ever would have happened…."**

 **She let out a small noise of discontent. "You get what you deserve, I suppose."**

"Celeste!" Makoto exclaimed. Chihiro flinched at this and curled up tighter, while Mondo growled like a raging dog. A part of him is really considering breaking his no hitting girl rule….

The gambler, who was slightly surprised at her own words, had the decency to look apologetic. "I'm sorry, Chihiro. That was disrespectful of me, especially under the circumstances they're in."

"N-No, it's okay." Chihiro said weakly. "It was your future self that said it, not you." Besides, Celeste did have a point. If she didn't try and go exercise during the night, if she was just willing to reveal her secret and get stronger during the day, she wouldn't end up like that.

But in the end, she was too weak to do that, and ended up getting killed.

 **Makoto decided to ignore Celeste for right now, and left the room.** ' _ **So, she went to the girls locker room last night in order to exercise without anyone knowing.'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **But the strange thing is, there was no trace of the track jacket or duffel bag Celeste said she saw Chihiro carrying.'**_

Hina frowned. "Yeah, now that he mentioned it, I didn't see a duffel bag or track jacket either."

"Perhaps the killer hid it, so one could say for sure if Chihiro got killed in the locker room or not." Celeste suggested. "That's a possibility, isn't it?"

"Probably." Sayaka said. "It's a good thing Celeste saw her during the night, then."

"Definitely." Leon agreed. The case would've gotten a lot much harder if she didn't.

" **Finally, I went back at the archive, to look at the Genocide Jack case once again." Makoto narrated. The scene switched to Makoto looking for the case in the Archive.**

" **Hmm….I know it was around here somewhere…." He murmured to himself. But after searching through every murder case, he didn't see any sign of the Genocide Jack case. "Huh….? It's gone!"**

"Huh? It's gone?" Hifumi gasped in shock. "But the only one who knows about the Archive is…."

"...Byakuya and Makoto." Kyoko finished. "Byakuya must've taken it then."

"But why?" Taka questioned. "Is there any reason for Byakuya to do this?"

"I guess we'll have to see in the trial." The heir replied. Most likely, he's gonna use the file as proof for Genocide Jack being the murderer.

' _ **Did someone take it out of the archive?'**_ **Makoto wondered.** ' _ **But there's only one person other than me who knows about the archive….'**_ **Before he could finish his thought, the bells suddenly runged, and the monitor turned on.**

" **Erm, so ah….I'm getting tired of waiting. Shall we just plunge right in?" Monokuma said. "It's the moment you've all been waiting for….the class trial! You remember where to meet, right? Please go through the red door on the 1st floor of the school!" He let out his usual laughter. "See you soon!" With that, the monitor turned off.**

Once again, everyone tensed. The second class trial is about to begin.

' _I have a feeling this one is going to be a bit more chaotic….'_ Makoto thought with a grimace.

 **Makoto sighed. "It's about to begin." With that small sentence, he left the archive and the library.**

 **The scene switched to nearly everybody close to the elevator towards the class trial. Monokuma quickly appeared right after. "Ahem, so….is everyone ready to- whaaat?!" The bear swiveled his head back and forth. "Am I blind, or are we missing somebody?"**

When the bear said that, the group noticed that Toko wasn't there. "Is Toko still hauled up in her room?" Leon asked rhetorically. "Did she forget that we don't have a choice in going in the class trial?"

"She probably doesn't care at that moment." Sakura sighed. The young book writer was really spooked about her other side coming out.

" **Yeah, Toko's not here." Mondo informed him.**

" **And Toko is….?"**

" **You really don't remember….?" Hiro asked, baffled.**

" **Kidding! I'm just kidding." Monokuma reassured. "How could I forget that little nutjob? She's a crucial part of the class trial this time!"**

"More like Genocide Jack is the crucial part." Byakuya corrected. "But, considering they are basically the same person, we can call that true."

"Well, more like in the same body." Leon remarked, looking at the serial killer. "The two are night and day when you compared them together."

"Aye! Me, the confident, passionate, serial killer!" Jill declared, laying her hand on her chest and holding the other one out. "And Toko, the nervous-wreck, sullen, book writer!"

"Looks like Jill is gonna be staying for a while this time." Makoto commented to nobody in particular.

"So it would seem." Kyoko agreed with a nod.

" **Okie dokie, I'll go ahead and drag her out here kicking and screaming. Just one moment, please!" After that statement, he bounced out of the room.**

"Is he really gonna….?" Sayaka began, but trailed off as they saw the next scene.

 **A few minutes later, he came back, dragging a struggling Toko, just like he said.**

"...He did." Leon deadpanned. "At this point, I'm not that surprised."

"Tell me about it." Junko huffed. "On another note, is Toko trying to get suspected? Cause she's looking like the culprit right now." Though, she does regret not making a punishment for not showing up on time. Guess that will be something she can note down.

"Especially with Monokuma's words." Celeste pointed out.

 **Toko groaned in protest as the monochrome bear dragged her inside. "I t-told him I didn't want to, but….h-he forced me! I can't believe you would d-drag a girl around…."** **She glared at him as she got up. "Terrible….! You're t-terrible!"**

"She's saying that like he has any morals." Mondo pointed out. "Like hell it has any."

 **Monokuma ignored her as he let out a breath of exertion. "So NOW everyone's here, right?" He rhetorically asked. "Okay then, hustle onto the elevator and let's get this show on the road! I'll see you guys down there!" With that, he disappeared once more.**

" **So, shall we get going then?" Byakuya said as he moved towards the elevator. "It's time to find out who killed Chihiro."**

' _ **Chihiro….'**_ **Makoto thought to himself as everyone went on the elevator.** ' _ **Chihiro Fujisaki….she was so gentle, so calm and meek. Nobody had any problems with her….'**_ **A flashback of Chihiro was shown.** ' _ **Someone made a choice to kill….a girl like that….**_

Makoto's inner monologue made the others sick to the stomach, while Chihiro buried her face in her knees at the sight of her corpse. "Why would any of us decide to kill someone like Chihiro?" Taka questioned, trying to comprehend something like that.

"I don't know, bro." Mondo said, the anger returning once again. "But when we find out who, they better have a good explanation for it!"

"Yeah!" Hina agreed. "None of us should even think about killing someone as sweet as Chihiro!" Sayaka nodded in agreement to this.

"Well, maybe they saw Chihiro as an easy target…." Hiro suggested hesitantly. He yelped when felt several glares from some of the others, especially Mondo. "Nothing! Forget I said anything!"

"Idiot." Celeste muttered under her breath.

 **The scene switched back to the present, with almost everyone inside the elevator.** ' _ **And that murderer….is one of us.'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **Someone standing right here….'**_ **He then spoke out loud to himself. "We have no choice, right? We have to do this…."**

" **Yes." Kyoko replied from beside him, to which he nodded. The two of them then entered the elevator with the others, and as soon as they did, the door closed.**

 **The elevator began moving down like it did before, until finally, it arrived once again. As the door opened, the group was met with a redecorated room, the color being red and yellow. "What do you think? I redecorated! Isn't it so fresh? Isn't it so EXCITING?!"**

"He redecorated the room?" Sakura questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Why go through that trouble?"

"I don't think we can understand the thought process of a deranged psychopath that wants us to kill each other." Byakuya remarked dryly.

' _Well, having to see the same thing is boring!'_ Junko thought to herself. ' _Changing it up makes it less boring!'_

" **Don't waste our time with stupid questions." Byakuya stated bluntly. "Let's get this over with."**

" **Good, good, you're rip-raring to go!" Monokuma said eagerly. "Gotta say, I don't hate it! Not at all! Okay then, let's get this show on the road! Everyone, please find your assigned seats!"**

 **As the students went to their podiums, the narration began. "And so, the curtain opened once again…." Makoto narrated. "A deadly judgement….a deadly deception….a deadly betrayal…." The camera individually showed Hifumi, Toko, Celeste, Byakuya, and Hiro on their podiums.**

" **A deadly riddle, a deadly defense, a deadly faith…." The camera then showed Hina, Mondo, Toko, Sakura, and Taka on their podiums. Once again, Makoto was the last to be shown. "A deadly….class trial….!"**

"And so, it begins again!" Hifumi said, both mysteriously and nervously.

"I'm guessing Makoto is gonna be saying those lines every time?" Junko questioned, remembering the same words being said in the first trial.

"Well, I don't mind seeing it!" Hina stated. "It's still make Makoto look so cool!"

Makoto was about to object, but only blushed in embarrassment when he noticed that his friends around him showed their subtle signs of approval.

Sighing and shaking off his embarrassments, Makoto turned his attention back to the TV. It's time to solve the mystery behind such a twisted murder.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Next up will be the class trial. That should be a roller coaster of emotions, for a lot of the students. Especially for Chihiro, Taka, and Mondo. Review, favoritre, and follow, and I will see you guys later.**


	37. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P13

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, couldn't think of much to write in this chapter, since basically all of the Class 78th already knew about Genocide Jack and the circumstances about her murder, but I did the best I could. Hopefully it's enough. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Lucky you folks, since I delayed the last chapter by quite a bit, here's a quicker update since Spirit had some time to write the next chapter while I held it hostage :P**

 **Anyways, Questions section!**

 **Q: Will X be happening in Class 77 watches the Future? Will X be happening in any future works? Will you have them view AUs or other fics?  
L: We appreciate the enthusiasm for the future, but we currently have our hands full with this one so our current answers to all of your questions will be "I don't know." We don't want to make any empty promises now since things can change in the future. (and considering the pace we're going at, a very distant future)  
S: Agreed.**

 **Q: SDRTHHV3: Will your new schedule mean slower uploads?  
L: Absolutely not. While things are a bit rocky on my end right now, the bulk of the writing is still on Spirit's end so even if I'm holding a chapter hostage from being busy or lousy, he's still making progress on future chapters which means, if a chapter gets delayed, there's a good chance that the next two chapters will be uploaded in closer proximity, like this one!  
S: If there's nothing delaying me, anyway.**

*POTENTIAL V3 SPOILERS*

 **Q: For the V3 cast, will they be "themselves" or "themselves"?  
L: Although this technically falls under the first question, I'll address this one separately since it is a fair question. If you have not finished V3, this is as non-spoilery as I can make it. Those of you who have finished, should know what my answer to this will be. So the answer is: We haven't thought about it yet, but they will most likely be the way they're meant to be. (Man... even that sentence in and of itself is slightly spoilery... I'm sorry guys.) How you make of that statement is up to you :)  
**

*POTENTIAL V3 SPOILERS END*

Chapter 36: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 13

" **Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results." Monokuma explained, once again on his throne. "If you can figure out 'whodunnit' then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one, then I'll push everyone besides the blackened, and the one who deceived everyone else will graduate. Okay, so first off, let's talk about the murder weapon!"**

' _ **First we have to make clear what was used to to deliver the fatal blow….'**_ **Makoto thought to himself. Then, he spoke up. "Can we agree that the object that dealt the fatal blow was the dumbbell, found at the scene of the crime? It was covered in blood, and there was nothing else at the scene that could have caused that kind of injury."**

" **And the wound on the victim's head is consistent with the shape of the dumbbell." Kyoko added. "As far as I'm concerned, there's no mistake and no room for doubt on this one."**

"Wait….you actually looked directly at her head wound?" Hina asked, a bit pale. Though it was to be expected of Kyoko, it was still slightly unsettling, especially for Chihiro.

Kyoko sighed, but nodded. "Of course. I'm a detective. I need to be completely thorough if I want to solve the mystery." She said before giving an apologetic look at Chihiro. "In any case, I apologize if it makes you uncomfortable Chihiro."

"I-It's okay." Chihiro quickly reassured. "You need to find who did it, so I can't blame you for it."

" **You….looked at her head wound?" Hina asked, clearly looking disturbed.**

 **That caused Hifumi to scream in terror. "That's sooo creeeepy!"**

 **Kyoko stayed silent at this, to which Byakuya took the initiative to speak up. "If you don't mind, I will proceed from here. Let's move on to the discussion of the culprit." He said. "Although, I believe the criminal behind this heinous act is already quite clear."**

" **What?! For real?!" Hiro exclaimed.**

" **Chihiro's killer is….the fiendish serial killer, Genocide Jack!" Byakuya declared.**

"Your future self is very insistent that it was Genocide Jack killed Chihiro." Sakura pointed out. The heir sighed.

"So it would seem." Byakuya said with an obvious tone. Honestly, with the evidence they have gathered, it is blatantly obvious that his self on the screen has something to do with the murder. He glared at the screen, vaguely understanding the implications and the intentions behind his actions. With his arms crossed, he tightened his grip on both sleeves as he forced himself to focus on the current events. Speculating about something that will inevitably reveal itself was a waste of effort.

 **The non-stop debate started up, with the bullets being gathered up before being loaded into the revolver. Byakuya was the first to speak. "The culprit is Genocide Jack. I'm sure of it." He stated once again. "Case closed, as far as I'm concerned."**

" **But….that's impossible!" Hina protested.**

" **Why? What makes it impossible?" Byakuya asked.**

" **Well, I mean….come on….!" The swimmer exclaimed. "There's just no proof for it!"**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **Makoto thought. The bullet was shot and Makoto spoke up. "I….might know one reason he could be involved…."**

" **What?!" Hina gasped in shock.**

" **I found this file while I was looking around the archive in the library…." Makoto explained. "I guess it's some kind of confidential file that police put together about the Genocide Jack case."**

" **What….? That's kind of weird as shit, isn't it?" Mondo questioned. "What was something like that doing in the library?"**

" **The why of it is probably more trouble than it's worth, so let's forget about that for now." Byakuya said, changing the subject.**

Kyoko nodded. "Smart move, avoiding the subject."

"Yeah. Talking about the archive will open up another conversation we don't need." Makoto reluctantly agreed.

" **More importantly, it outlines all the specifics of every Genocide Jack case in exceeding detail. According to the file, there appear to be two defining characteristics in every Genocide Jack case. The first is the bloody message is found written at the scene of every murder."**

" **Oh, that's right!" Hifumi remembered. "'Booblust'!"**

Before anyone could react to that, a baseball hit Hifumi right in the head once again. "Ow! I didn't say anything!"

"The fact that one of you said it earned a baseball to the head, fatty." Leon deadpanned.

"It completely baffles me on how you can make that kind of mistake." Celeste said, disbelief and exasperation hidden from her facial feature and voice. The fanfic creator turned away, not knowing how to answer that.

" **Uh, no….it's actually 'bloodlust'..." Hina corrected in exasperation.**

" **But more importantly, is the other characteristic. And it's something that has never been made public…." Byakuya pointed out.**

" **Never made public….? What the hell is it?" Mondo asked.**

 **Makoto chose to explain this. "Apparently, in every Genocide Jack case, the killer suspends the body in a certain way." He told everyone. "Other than the killer, the only people who know about the this are the higher-ups in the police department."**

" **However, Chihiro was most definitely suspended in the same way." Byakuya stated. "So, how did the culprit know about this, when only high-level police officials were aware of it?"**

"Yeah….that's a good point." Hina said with a frown. "The only one here in the police department is Kyoko."

"However, my memory was wiped with anything that has to do with my talent as a detective." Kyoko interjected, before anyone could throw accusation. "That would include any cold cases that I know of. So it couldn't have been me."

"Then who the hell could've done it?" Mondo demanded.

"Maybe it's just a big old coincidence!" Jill suggested. "A huge stroke of luck!"

"No. I doubt that it was a coincidence." Makoto muttered, mainly to himself. The only one who could even know about the Genocide Jack case and copy it….is Byakuya. After all, he was the only one to have read that case due to his isolation in the library, and Toko had managed to keep Jack in check up until the body announcement.

" **There's only one logical answer I can think of. It's because the culprit in this case….is the real Genocide Jack."**

" **No fuckin' way!" Mondo exclaimed in shock.**

" **You're saying Genocide Jack….is one of us?" Celeste said in slight surprise.**

" **Yes." Byakuya confirmed. "In fact, it's Toko."**

His statement took the others off guard. "He knows?" Sayaka asked in slight shock.

"Not surprising, considering Toko's infatuation with him." Kyoko mused. "She probably told him right after the motive was revealed."

"Or he could've figured it out himself at some point." Mukuro pointed out, prompting Kyoko to nod in agreement.

"Yes, that is a possibility."

 **Said book writer was taken by surprise at the statement. "Wh….?"**

" **Genocide Jack's true identity….is Toko Fukawa." Byakuya declared.**

" **YOU LIIIEEEEEE!" Hifumi screamed in horror.**

" **Wh-Wh-Wh-What?" Toko stuttered, still shocked by the accusation.**

" **Hey, okay, wait, hold on a sec!" Hina protested. "Toko has like, bloodophobia or whatever, remember? What kind of serial killer is afraid of blood?!"**

" **Is Toko Genocide Jack?" The heir asked rhetorically. "The answer is yes….and no."**

" **Another riddle?" Hiro complained. "Many, why's this gotta be so complicated?"**

"If you use your brain for a moment, the answer would be clear." Byakuya remarked.

"How would any of us expected to have multiple personalities?!" Hina exclaimed in protest. "That's the kind of stuff you see in movies or TV shows!"

"Oh come on, is it really that weird?" Jill mocked complain. "Having multiple personalities can't be that weird!"

"That because your line of thinking is fucked up beyond reason." Mondo deadpanned.

' _Or... that's because that kind of mental disorder is quite rare...'_ Makoto thought to himself.

' _ **It does seem like a riddle in a way, but….'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **I feel like….I can just about see it.'**_ **The camera angled to his side and his body turned back. Flashback of his time in the archive once shown.** ' _ **I think it was in the Genocide Jack case….it was on the profiling results….the suspect suffered from….'**_

 **Makoto's image went back to normal as the answer come to him. "Is it because Genocide Jack….has a split personality?" The lucky student said.**

" **...Huh?" That response came from a confused Hina.**

" **I think I read that somewhere in the file, too…." Makoto informed them. "They thought that the suspect might have….what did they call it? 'Dissociative Identity Disorder'."**

 **Hifumi hesitantly spoke up. "O-Okay….but still, to go and say that about Miss Fukawa is-"**

" **Perfectly acceptable." Byakuya interrupted. "Toko's strange behavior after seeing the body is proof enough that she has a split personality."**

" **You're talking about how she started acting totally different than usual, right?" Makoto deduced.**

" **That's right." Byakuya confirmed. "Think back - she fainted when she saw Chihiro's corpse, and then when she woke up…."**

"The psycho killer with the scissors popped out!" Junko declared, slightly getting into her punk rock persona.

"Aww, you're making me blush!" Jill stated in mock embarrassment.

" **She was acting funny, that's for sure!" Taka agreed. "That melancholy tone of hers completely disappeared!"**

" **Don't go assigning adjectives to my t-tone without permission….." Toko told him.**

"But it is melancholy." Hiro pointed out, sighing. "Man, just being around her can be depressing."

"Come on, Hiro, she's not that bad." Makoto defended the writing prodigy. She couldn't really help her personality,

" **Not to mention, once she regained consciousness and saw Chihiro's body again, she was utterly calm." Byakuya added. "In other words, within her is one personality that can't handle blood, and one that obviously can."**

"Yeppers!" Jill agreed. "Master knows me so well!"

"I'm pretty sure that just common sense…." Hiro said, scratching his head.

"I wouldn't call it common sense…." Sayaka muttered.

" **N-Ngh….!" Was all Toko could let out for the moment.**

" **So when Toko trapped herself in the room, it's because she was scared of Genocide Jack….?" Hina guessed.**

" **The reason she locked herself in her room wasn't to keep other people from getting in…." Byakuya explained. "It was to keep her other personality from getting out."**

" **What….?" Hina said in shock.**

" **Toko was afraid - afraid of the murderous fiend inside of her, of killing even more people…." Byakuya stated.**

" **H-H-How…..?" Toko stuttered out.**

" **Yeah, how can you know all this?!" Hina demanded.**

" **...I do believe you misunderstood her." Byakuya told the swimmer. "What's she trying to say isn't, 'How can you know all this?' No, what she wants to know is, 'How could you tell them?'"**

" **...Huh?" Was the only response Hina could form up.**

"Guess that answers whether or not Toko told him." Leon said, not really surprised by this. The others aren't really surprised by this either.

"And it's probably why Byakuya was insistent that Genocide Jack is with them." Mukuro added.

" **Last night, just before Monokuma gave his 'motive' speech, Toko and I had a strange conversation." Byakuya began explaning. "She told me a most interesting story. She said a murderous fiend lived within her, and she was afraid it could appear and attack at any time. And that trepidation is what's caused her to have such a bleak attitude. Isn't that right, Toko?"**

 **This caused Toko to make more struggling noises.**

" **This is all a lie….right, Toko?" Hina inquired, hoping for a "yes".**

 **Toko ignored her, however. "Y-You said wouldn't t-tell anyone….!"**

" **...What?!" Hina exclaimed in disbelief.**

" **You p-promised….!" Toko told him, looking betrayed. "I can't b-believe you l-lied!"**

" **You have only yourself to blame," Byakuya said callously. "You came to me with your tragic little story. I didn't ask you to. This is the real world, not some romantic fantasy fairytale."**

Some couldn't help but frown at how callous Byakuya is treating Toko. "Man, that's cold, Byakuya." Hiro sighed.

"Yeah! While I know Toko isn't the easiest person to get along with, you didn't have to reveal her secret like that!" Hina scolded him.

"Despite whether or not you ask her to do this, revealing this is a breech of trust!" Taka stated. "At the very least, you could've asked her permission to reveal this!"

"If she was the killer, she wouldn't want it to be revealed." Byakuya retorted. "While we all know Jack isn't the killer, the others don't know that, do they?" Though, even he had to admit to himself that his statement was unnecessary, regardless of how he felt about the girl.

 **Toko made several several strangling sounds of anguish but Byakuya continued. "Besides, you broke your promise first." He told her. "You said that as long as you were here, no matter what, you wouldn't let Genocide Jack kill anyone. But in spite of that promise…."**

' _Oh, so that was what the promise was!'_ Makoto realized, remembering what Toko had said to Byakuya during the investigation.

" **You said if I k-kept my promise….you would g-go out with me!" Toko accused. "Th-That's the only r-reason I promised….!"**

' _Fantasy.'_ Nearly everyone thought blankly. They don't need to be a detective to figure that one out.

" **How many times to do I have to tell you? I never said that." Byakuya refuted. "But you weren't able to do it - you just couldn't resist that rush from killing, could you?"**

" **I-I tried…." Toko said, distressed. "I swear I t-tried to control it! B-But…."**

" **But your efforts were useless. What a disappointment." Byakuya said coldly.**

The frowns went even further. "Mr. Togami is being colder than usual…." Hifumi hesitantly pointed out.

"No doubt there." Leon agreed. "What he's saying is cold, even for him."

"I'm actually starting to feel bad for Toko." Junko remarked with a fake frown.

Jill, however, pouted. "Why can't I get that attention?! I want verbal abuse spat on me more often!"

"You are one sick masochist." Mondo stated bluntly.

" **Nggh….I hate you…." Toko declared venomously.**

 **Byakuya was unperturbed. "Well, the opening act is nearly finished." He stated. "All that's left is to hear from the person the person in question directly."**

" **The p-person….?" Toko went even paler than usual. "Y-Y-You dont m-m-m-mean….?!"**

"YES!" Jill shouted in excitement, pumping her fist. "My glorious debut is about to begin!"

"But didn't you already have a debut in the locker room?" Hifumi pointed out.

Jill waved that one off. "Oh, that was just a small taste of my reveal! My true revelation is about to begin!"

 **At that moment, Toko fainted from the stress and anxiety. But in the next moment, she lunged back up. The camera moved towards her feet and slowly moved up before revealing Genocide Jack. "Well, hello there! Is it me you're hoping to see?!"**

 **Hifumi yelped in shock at this. "Eugh, what the heck?!"**

" **So you figured it out, huh? Well, whatever! What're ya gonna do?!" The serial killer sighed loudly. "I'm the Ultimate Murderous Fiend, Genocide Jack! Or better yet, let's go with Genocide Jill!"**

"Aaaaaaand, there's my introduction!" Jill cheered loudly. "The Ultimate Murderous Fiend has finally joined the killing game!"

"Normally, that would've been worrying." Makoto said with a sweatdrop. But fortunately, and weirdly, the fact that she's a 'professional' serial killer made them safe.

" **What the fuck is this?!" Mondo exclaimed.**

" **Toko….what happened to you?" Taka questioned, slightly fearful.**

" **Not Toko! That's a loser name!" The newly dubbed Genocide Jill corrected him. "And what happened is a textbook split personality! So what if one of them happens to be a serial killer?! You should turn a blind eye to one's faults!" She ended with an a round of insane laughter.**

"Okay, while we all know about Genocide Jack, this intro still freaks the hell out of me." Leon whispered to his couchmate. Makoto and Sayaka couldn't help but nod in agreement to this.

" **She's so….intense!" Hiro gasped.**

" **Like they say, sound in murderous mind, sound in murderous body!" Jill stated**

" **This one is so different from the one we've come to know…." Sakura said, looking at Jill with mixed emotions.**

" **Yes, well, the world is composed of a front and a back, you know." Jill told her. "Just like how every inning has a top and bottom, or how in depths of every truth lives a little lie….behind every dark dark and gloomy soul lives another that shines as bright as the sun!" She ended that with another round of insane laughter.**

"How one earth does she sound crazy and philosophical at the same time?" Hiro questioned, trying to wrap his head around it.

"It's probably best not to think on it." Kyoko advised. Dealing with something like that without mental preparation is going to take quite the toll on one's mentality.

' _ **This is the "murderous fiend" Genocide Jack?'**_ **Makoto thought, staring at the scene in shock.** ' _ **This is…..this is…..this is beyond insane!'**_

"Aww, thank you Big Mac!" Jill stated, giving a bow. "I do try my best!"

" **Um, Miss Jack - er, Jill? Can I ask you a question….?" Hifumi nervously asked the serial killer.**

" **What's up?!" Was the response she gave.**

" **Some of us think you might be the mastermind behind our entire situation." Hifumi explained. "What are your on thoughts on that?"**

"Really? You guys really thought I was the mastermind of all that?" Jill scoffed. "Please! My passion is focused on individual murders I do myself, not a group! Besides, if I wanted to gather people to kill people, it would be a group of adorable boys!"

"Ignoring her…." Byakuya turned to the fanfic creator with a blank look. "What possessed you to ask such a question? If she was the mastermind, would she really go and admit it?"

"There's also the fact that Genocide Jack is in the school with us, and there's no way she could control Monokuma from her position." Kyoko pointed out. Their solid points couldn't help but make Hifumi embarrassed at himself on the screen.

" **Well I'll tell you! I'm the mastermind of all masterminds!" Jill declared….and then takes back those words. "Just kidding!"**

" **Then….it's not true?" Makoto inquired.**

 **Monokuma was the one to answer. "Of course it's not true! How dare you try to link me to that creepazoid?!"**

"Says the psycho who's making us play this life-or-death game." Leon deadpanned. "Does he really delude himself to think he's all normal?"

' _At least I keep the craziness organized!'_ Junko protested in her head.

" **And another thing! The police and government and society in the outside world are totally powerless!" Monokuma added in. "I mean, they just let this idiotic bloodthirsty maniac go buck wild all over town!"**

" **Sure, I'm a bloodthirsty maniac. But life is pain, right?" Jill rhetorically asked. "To live is to hurt other people. It's a necessary evil if you want to survive. The act of living itself causes pain for everyone….just kidding again!" She ended the last statement with a laugh.**

 **The whole room was silent to this, just….baffled to the revelation revealed to them. "This should be enough to convince you." Byakuya spoke up. "This murderous fiend is responsible for Chihiro's death. There's clearly a motive, so there should be no doubt."**

" **...A motive?" Sakura questioned.**

" **Remember what Monokuma told us?" Byakuya reminded her. "If someone didn't murder or graduate within 24 hours, an embarrassing memory or secret would be revealed. Well, let's assume that Toko's secret was about Genocide Jack. If a secret like that came to light, Toko's life would have undoubtedly been forever ruined. So she had a very clear motive to never have that side of herself exposed."**

"Yeah, that's true." Leon said with a small nod. "If it came out that she's Genocide Jack, or have the psycho inside her, either she'll spend her life running or in a mental hospital."

"Well, it's a good thing that someone got kill happy!" Jill commented on casually. "Otherwise, I might not be able to kill anymore adorable boys!"

"Your version of a good thing is messed up." Hiro stated, looking creeped out.

" **Interesting….very, very, very interesting….!" Jill responded back, looking in thought. "But sorry! As much as I hate to admit it, I'm not the culprit!"**

" **...Huh?" Was the confused response from Taka.**

" **But I can't imagine anyone other than you could murder someone in such a bizarre fashion…." Celeste pointed out.**

" **Maybe so, maybe so! But nevertheless, it's the truth." Jill insisted.**

" **...Do you really expect any of us to believe you?" Sakura questioned.**

" **Yeah!" Hina agreed readily. "I could never believe a word you say, you monster!"**

"Oh dear." Celeste said. "Hopefully, they will figure out that it wasn't her soon."

"That is up to our lucky boy here!" Junko said impulsively.

Kyoko nodded. "True. After all, only he and Byakuya knows about the full version of the Genocide Jack case, and Byakuya is currently insisting that Genocide Jack is the culprit." And the fact that Byakuya was the only one who knew about the Genocide Jack case before Chihiro's murder made him a prime suspect in her mind.

 **The non-stop debate started up once again, this time, with Jill talking first. "Sorry, but I didn't kill anyone!"**

" **You say that, but do you really expect any of us to believe it?" Sakura repeated.**

" **Perhaps if you have an alibi, that would change things…." Celeste suggested.**

" **Ohh, an alibi, huh? Now we're talking!" Jill said excitingly.**

" **When you compare your past murders to this incident…." Byakuya began pointing out. "...the modus operandi matches completely!"**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **Makoto thought. The bullet was shot as Makoto spoke up. "Are the methods of murder really exactly the same? I'm not so sure about that…." The luckster expressed. "I think there's a slight difference between the Genocide Jack cases and this one…."**

" **Huh? How's it any different?" Hiro asked, confuse.**

" **Uh-oh, you don't know?" Jill asked rhetorically. "Well then, human garbage, let me tell you!"**

"Hey!" Hiro shouted in offense. "That was a mean thing to say!"

Jill blew a raspberry at him in response. "Like I care, human garbage!"

" **I murder with passion and conviction! I consider myself a professional, and I have a very particular way of doing things!" She explained passionately. "Imagine you go to a fancy Italian restaurant. They're very picky about the noodles, the sauce, everything. But what happened with Chihiro….it'd be like if that same Italian restaurant started using Ragu or Chef Boyardee! This is no creation of mine!"**

The comparison to food suddenly made half the class sick in their stomachs. "Can't she compare killing to anything else?" Taka griped.

"And nothing edible?" Hifumi added, trying not to lose his breakfast.

"But killing people is very comparable to cooking!" Jill argued. "Doing it always make my mouth water!"

"Are you trying to make us barf?" Leon groaned.

" **Let me rephrase that, in a way that maybe makes more sense…." Makoto said, looking a bit green. "There are two clear differences between the Genocide Jack cases and this one. For one, the cause of death is different. In the Genocide Jack murders, all the victims are killed the same way. According to the case file, they were all apparently killed with….a pair of scissors. But Chihiro died from a blow to the head, right?"**

" **Ah, yes!" Hifumi said in realization. "That is remarkably different from the other murders!"**

" **Wouldn't it be strange for someone who kills the same way without fail to suddenly change their method?" Makoto rhetorically asked. "And there's more-one more conflicting detail."**

" **That's right!" Jill agreed. "In my recipe of murder, if the bloody message is the tortellini, then the arrangement of the body would be the pesto sauce!"**

" **Could you please stop comparing killing people to cooking….?" Hiro groaned.**

"Yeah, seriously!" Hiro complained. "It makes me want to avoid any italian restaurants!"

"Or avoid eating any italian food." Celeste added, being careful to mask how sick she feels.

Makoto nodded in empathy from his seat. ' _I think... I'll be avoiding pasta for a while...'_

" **S-So….are you saying the other difference has to do with how the body was arranged….?" Taka clarified.**

" **Do you remember what the killer used to suspend her with?" Makoto asked them. "They used some kind of rope to hang her up by the wrists."**

" **What is your point?" Celeste asked him.**

" **Well, in all the previous Genocide Jack cases, something else was used to suspend them…." Makoto explained. "Specifically, pairs of razor-sharp scissors."**

" **And guess what! I used my own, specially designed for the murders AND the arrangements!" Jill informed them all. "Like I said, I'm a professional. So naturally I'm very picky about the tools I use!" A thought then occured to her. "And-andandandandand ya know what else? Big Mac said there's two differences, but he's wrong!"**

" **Big Mac….? Are you referring to me?" Makoto asked, clearly puzzled.**

" **Listen up, Big Mac! There's actually one more difference!" Jill stated, ignoring the question.**

 **Makoto's eyes widen at this. "...Huh?"**

"Oh, I can't believe he overlooked who the victims are!" Jill moaned in complaint. "That's like, the most important part of the crime!"

"I doubt Makoto, or any of us, would focus on who the victims are." Sakura sighed. "Especially with how gruesome your murders are."

"Y-Yeah." Makoto agreed. Who the victims are, specifically their similarities, would be the last thing in his mind.

" **My word! You really didn't notice? Take a look at who the victims were in each Genocide Jack case…." Jill advised. "There's a pattern there just waiting to be discovered!"**

" **A….pattern?" Sakura questioned.**

" **Figure that out, and it'll be plain as death why I couldn't have killed that loli girl!" Jill stated.**

 **Makoto frowned in thought.** ' _ **Hmm….let's see….'**_ **Makoto started thinking.** ' _ **There was a pattern surrounding the Genocide Jack cases, and Chihiro didn't fit in it….?'**_ **An answer then struck his mind. "Is it because….Chihiro was a girl?"**

" **BINGO! Bullseye! Right on the money!" Jill confirmed.**

" **What are you talking about….?" Hiro asked in confusion.**

" **In all the Genocide Jack cases, all the victims had something in common." Makoto explained. "Every one of them were boys."**

" **They were all….guys?" Hiro repeated nervously.**

" **That's right! The people I kill with such passion and conviction….are all adorable little men!" Jill said excitingly. "Kyaaah! I can't believe I said it! I'm so embarrassed!"**

" **The hell is wrong with you?!" Mondo exclaimed in shock.**

" **I can't help it. I'm just a full throttle boy-on-boy fangirl! And the mopey side of me just hates it!" Jill told them all. "But now I'm on the fast track to becoming a full-fledged madam!"**

No one bothered trying to figure out what Jill was talking about. For their sanity's sake.

" **So since Chihiro was a girl and not an 'adorable little man'...you wouldn't kill her?" Taka asked, with some doubt in his voice.**

" **Would an italian chef suddenly start making ramen, just because they're both noodles? Don't be stupid!" Jill answered him. "I have too much passion and conviction to cross that line! That's the absolute reality of the one and only!"**

" **We get it. You've clearly explained your hobby and your philosophy. But that's not all there is to it." Byakuya stated. "It's a different matter entirely….when you're forced to kill in order to survive."**

" **Quiet, lowly cur!"**

That statement startled the group, especially the one being addressed. "Lowly cur?" Byakuya repeated, feeling shock and insulted.

"Did the psycho actually insult Togami?" Mondo asked incredulously. "I mean, she has the balls to do it, but I never thought she would actually go through with it!"

"I wouldn't let anyone accuse me for killing somebody for something as petty as mere survival!" Jill stated passionately. "Not even master is allowed to insult me like that!"

"I didn't think you could actually get insulted." Hiro muttered.

 **That startled the affluent progeny. "Lowly….cur?"**

" **I would never kill for a reason as petty as mere survival!" Jill stated heatedly. "And! If by some fluke did kill to survive, why would I bother with the message and arrangement?! It'd make me the obvious suspect!"**

"A good point there." Makoto agreed with. "One that everyone will have to see."

"Indeed." Kyoko also agreed. No one would leave obvious tracts of evidence, or even set it up.

" **That….does makes some amount of sense." Celeste agreed reluctantly.**

" **PLUS! Whatever reason I have for killing, I would NEVER leave out my prized scissors!" Jill added. "Who would go out of their way to use a big, stupid, heavy dumbbell?"**

" **Maybe you used the dumbbell cuz you couldn't find any scissors in the school?" Hifumi suggested.**

"ANY scissors?" Jill turned towards Hifumi angrily, causing the fanfic creator to yelp in fear. "What do you mean, I use 'any' scissors?!" She pulled out her unique set of scissors. "Does these look like just any, normal looking scissors to you, Huffy?!"

"No ma'am! Sorry ma'am!" Hifumi squealed, scared out of his wits.

"' **Any' scissors?" Jill sounded very insulted at his words. "I just don't just use 'any' scissors! I only use my own set of high-class, envy of the entire world scissors!"**

" **Okay whatever, there still aren't any in the school…." Hiro pointed out.**

 **That statement was countered by this. "Are you sure about that….?" Before everyone eyes, Genocide Jack pulled out four pairs of scissors. "Da da-da daa!"**

The appearance of Jill's unique scissors shocked everyone, even the more stoic ones. Mondo was the first to speak. "What the hell?!"

"She's fully equipped!" Hifumi yelped.

"But, how?!" Hina exclaimed, trying to wrap her head around what they're seeing.

"Didn't the mastemind take everything from us?!" Taka questioned, feeling just as confused.

Jill merely laughed hysterically at this. "Not even ths mastermind can separate me from my precious scissors! If they take them, I'll just make more!"

"What the hell kind of material do you use?!" Leon exclaimed.

Even Junko was surprised by this. She's pretty sure her future self and Mukuro managed to secure any and all personal belongings they had. So how the heck did she manage to attain those scissors?!

 **Hifumi yelped at this. "She's fully equipped!"**

" **That's right! So I can kill anytime, anywhere!" Jill stated confidently. "Why would I resort to dumbbells or rope, when I have my trusty scissors by my side? Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong. You can't, can you? Gutter dogs, all of you!"**

 **Calming down, she put her scissors away. "Not to mention, I have no clue how tie a good knot. So rope's totally out of the question anyway!"**

 **Taka let out groans of frustation. "I have no idea what's going on anymore….! Could such a heinous villian really be innocent?!"**

" **But….the body really was suspended, right?" Mondo questioned. "And nobody but the police knew about that…."**

" **Yeah!" Hina agreed. "That's why we figured it had to be the real deal and not some copycat killer or whatever!"**

"And now, we're back to that particular question." Taka said with a frown. "How could someone replicate Genocide's Jack arrangement of the body without any knowledge of such?"

"Maybe it's like what Jill said. A coincidence." Hiro said.

' _...No.'_ Makoto thought to himself. ' _It's not a coincidence. And there's only one person here that could've possibly replicated the arrangement.'_ He has a feeling that things is gonna turn south, real soon.

' _ **Actually, hold on….'**_ **Makoto thought in realization.** ' _ **There is one person….one person who could've copied the Genocide Jack cases!'**_

The more intelligent either immediately knew who Makoto was talking, or quickly figured it out. "Makoto, are you suggesting….?" Celeste trailed off.

The luckster nodded at the unasked question. "I think he is."

The others were quickly interested in Makoto's thoughts. "Who are you suggesting?" Mondo demanded, wanting to know who coud've possibly done it.

"That answer will be answered soon." Kyoko responded.

Byakuya, meanwhile, attained a neutral look. He figured out a while ago that only he could've copied the arrangement of the body, but had put in the back of his mind at the time. Now, he had no choice but to the face the truth.

 **With the suspect in mind, he quickly spoke to the person in question. "Byakuya….it's possible you could have found out, isn't it?" The luckster accused. "You'd have no problem gaining access to classified government documents or internal police records. Plus, you'd already looked through the Genocide Jack file before this all happened, haven't you?"**

Several eyes widened in shock at this. "Are you saying that Byakuya is the killer?" Taka asked in shock.

"That would explain why he pushed the Genocide Jack theory." Mukuro mused. "I doubt he was blind to the differences between Genocide Jack's cases and this one."

"So it was master who set it all up?!" Jill let out a heavy breath, a huge blush on her face. "Ohhhh, just when I thought I couldn't love him more!"

Mondo glared furiously at the affluent progeny. "Answer us, Togami!" Mondo growled. "Did your future self murdered Chihiro?!"

Byakuya retained his neutral look, even with all the stares he's getting. "At the very least, he's involved somehow." The heir responded towards the angry biker. "But we can't be sure yet."

"Who else could it be, but you?" Leon pointed out. "None of us knows about the arrangement."

' _True.'_ Byakuya thought to himself. ' _But that doesn't mean I murdered Chihiro.'_ While it does look like his future self is the murderer, he still believes that he isn't stupid or even arrogant enough to think that he would be able to get away with it that easily.

However, the other possibility….isn't so pleasant to think about. Not at all.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys like this chapter. Next up, they'll witness the pressure being put on Byakuya, though the blonde will hardly react to it. Review, favorite, and follow, and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier's random end-of-chapter comments:  
I didn't know that I could be scared of the cops knocking on my door from watching anime... (Fate/Kaleid Liner series...). On another note, "Heavy Object" was another nice anime to watch. Although sexualization in Japan is common like satire is here in the west, I do wish they could tone that down a bit. It's hard to watch stuff like that when your computer is in the living room -_-**


	38. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P14

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Here, they're going to see Byakuya facing the accusations, as well as find out Chihiro's little secret. Hope I got their reactions accurate. Enjoy.**

 **P.S. Lucky actually finished editing and beta-reading this at the 9th, but for some reason, I didn't receive any notifications on my phone about it being in my docx. Didn't know that he was done until today. So, sorry about that.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **Lucky Soldier: Hey readers! This is probably one of the more normal uploads since forever. Enjoy!**

 **Questions:**

 **Q: Will the victims and blackened of each chapter be visited by Makoto each time?  
L: I am not sure how Spirit would be handling this, but I suppose only as appropriate.  
S: Like Lucky said, only as appropriate. As for Kyoko visiting, I feel like that she would only visit somebody if the betrayal towards Makoto is more on the personal level and, from what I saw, only Sayaka's and Kyoko's were like that. **

**Q: When will Class 78 show up?  
L: You might be misunderstanding something my friend, class 78 are just watching their future on a big screen TV. Technically, they all showed up already :)  
S: Did you meant Class 77?**

Chapter 37: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 15

 **Byakuya stayed silent at the accusation given by Makoto.**

" **A-Are you saying….Mr. Togami did it?" Hifumi gasped in shock.**

 **Again, the heir stayed silent. "Then the reason he pushed the theory of Genocide Jack being the killer so hard was because he wanted to pin the crime on her!" Celeste deduce.**

" **So he arranged the scene to disguise it and make it look like I'd put my stamp on it….!" Jill figured out. A heavy blush then hit her. "The adorable glasses man was behind it all?! Ahh, I'm on fire!"**

"..." The group slowly inched away from the crazed serial killer, especially Byakuya.

" **...Well, Byakuya? What's your response?!" Taka demanded.**

" **I see…." Byakuya murmured loudly. "So now the suspicion falls on me." He then turned his attention towards Makoto. "Then I must ask….when would you say I began acting suspiciously? Surely you must have an answer…."**

" **Hmm, looking back and thinking about it now, the way you were acting right before we discovered the body was a little strange…." Makoto mused. "You wanted to go to the girls locker room right away, right? But since you're a guy…."**

" **I should have naturally thought of the boys locker room first. Is that what you want to say?" Byakuya finished for him. "The victim was Chihiro. A girl. Hence why I said we should check the girls locker room."**

" **Nothing strange about that, I'd say!" Hifumi stated.**

" **On the contrary, there's something very strange!" Makoto countered.**

"How is it so strange?" Hina asked in confusion.

"There's nothing strange about a guy looking in the girl's locker room." Hifumi stated. "Taking the chance to look in the girl's locker room is a natural action for any guys!"

"Yeah, if they're creepy perverts." Leon shot back.

Ignoring Hifumi, Makoto turned to Hina. "I think future me is going to explain soon. But yeah, thinking about myself as well, I think it's strange too." After all, how could Byakuya know where to look in the first place?

" **Okay then, what's so strange about it?" Byakuya asked. "Go ahead, share it with the rest of the class."**

" **I'll tell you what's so strange about it…." Makoto declared. "Because up until we actually discovered the body, we couldn't have known who the victim was! So your claim that you went to the girls locker room first because Chihiro was the victim doesn't hold up!"**

"That is a good point." Celeste agreed. "The only ones who would've known about the body being there is the killer."

"So it really was the asshole that killed her?!" Mondo questioned, looking ready to strangle Togami here and now.

"For now." Sakura said with her eyes closed, still thinking about the situation while Byakuya stayed silent.

" **I see….that's a good answer, I must admit." Byakuya conceded. "Interesting. Very interesting, indeed. But your reasoning is still too weak!"**

 **Makoto was taken aback by this. "Huh….?"**

" **What's wrong? Is that it?" Byakuya questioned. "Surely you've got more than that. Go ahead, show us…."**

The others were also surprised by this. "Um, doesn't he realize he's being backed into a corner?" Leon questioned. "He's being weirdly calm about this!"

"That is strange, even for Byakuya." Celeste said in thought.

 **Makoto frowned.** ' _ **What's with Byakuya's attitude….?'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **It's like….he doesn't even care. I've got him cornered, but he's acting like it has nothing to do with him….!'**_

"Maybe because it doesn't." Byakuya sighed. "Or, at the very least, wasn't the one who ended Chihiro's life."

"What the hell do you mean by that?!" Mondo demanded. "The only one who could've done is you! None of us here knows about the body arrangement!"

' _True. But that doesn't mean he killed her.'_ Kyoko thought to herself. While she isn't counting him out yet, him setting up the arrangement doesn't necessarily means that he was the one to murder Chihiro. At least, not with the current information so far.

" **What's the matter? You're not finished already, are you?" Byakuya taunted. "There must be more to it…."**

" **Th-There is…." Makoto said, with slightly less confidence. "I think…."**

" **There is more to it." Kyoko confirmed. "Think about it. We just talked about the difference between this case and past Genocide Jack incidents. The proof you're looking for is hidden there…."**

" **...Oh?" Byakuya inquired. "Proof that I'm the culprit, you mean?" Kyoko stayed silent at that.**

' _Oh yeah!'_ Makoto thought to himself as he watched his other self on the screen trying to piece things together. ' _The plug!'_ But when he thought about the plug, along with Byakuya's behaviour during the entire thing, something felt wrong to him.

 **The non-stop debate began once again, with Genocide Jack being the first one to speak. "What, the difference between the cases?" She asked. "You want me to explain it again?!"**

 **She then went explaining once again. ""When I want to kill, I use my very own special scissors!" The serial killer stated. "And I use those same scissors to arrange the body!"**

" **But…..Chihiro was suspended with…." Celeste said in thought. "It was some kind of rope, was it not?"**

" **That's right! It absolutely was!" Taka confirmed.**

" **Then there must be something very fishy indeed about that rope…." Hifumi said.**

" **Hey, Byakuya! Where'd you get it from, huh?" Mondo demanded.**

" **I've never seen that rope before in my life…." Was the heir's response.**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **Makoto thought. The bullet was shot as Makoto spoke up. "Actually, I'm pretty sure you have seen it before. Because you see, that rope - or should I say….that extension cord?"**

" **What?!" Hifumi exclaimed. "An extension cord?!"**

 **Makoto focused his attention on the heir. "Byakuya - you've used the extension cord in the library more than once, haven't you? And the same extension cord that was in the library all this time went missing after the murder! There's no way someone who uses that extension cord as much as you do wouldn't discover that fact!"**

"So it's Byakuya who took the cord and used it!" Taka stated. "More evidence that Byakuya is the killer!"

"So, Byakuya really did kill Chihiro?" Hina asked, frowning.

' _I'm not sure about that.'_ Makoto thought to himself. This isn't right. The mistakes Byakuya are making, the evidence he's leaving, those aren't the things Byakuya would do. Despite being arrogant, he is smarter than this.

Which leads to the conclusion that he's doing those things intentionally.

" **Then Byakuya must be the one who took the extension cord!" Taka stated. "I can't imagine any other possibility!"**

 **The heir was silent for a moment before speaking once again. "That's really what you think?" He asked. "That your conclusion is something like this….? I killed Chihiro in the girls locker room, then hung her up and wrote that bloody message. I intentionally made it look like Genocide Jack was behind it. Is that about right?"**

"Okay, what the hell is wrong with him?" Mondo demanded. "He's backed into a fucking cornered, and the asshole is still completely calm!"

"Despite Byakuya's arrogance, he's not immune from panicking or losing his composure." Sakura said with narrowed eyes.

"So why isn't he panicking?" Junko asked with a 'frown'. It was easy to figure out that he altered the crime scene, but the murder itself was another story.

 **Makoto was silent to this.** ' _ **He's doing it again….'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **He's totally calm, totally unconcerned. As if he's not even involved….'**_ **That's when it struck him.** ' _ **Wait….not even involved….?'**_

"What are you thinking, Makoto?" Mukuro inquired.

Makoto frowned in thought. "I'm….probably thinking that he might not be involved in the murder."

"Huh?" Hifumi said in confusion. "But, wasn't it future you that accused him in the first place?"

"I know, but, the way he's acting, how calm he is, it just doesn't seem right." Makoto said. Like Sakura had said, Byakuya would've panicked like anybody else if backed into a corner.

" **What's wrong?" Byakuya questioned. "I asked you if you think that's what happened."**

" **Hell yes that's what happened!" Mondo quickly spoke up. 'So that's it, right? Byakuya's the killer!"**

" **I don't disagree with not disagreeing!" Jill stated.**

" **He kept calling this a game, right?" Taka asked rhetorically. "So he'd totally willing to do something like this to 'win'!"**

"No, not when he declared his intention to everyone before the murder." Kyoko disagreed, shaking her head. "Byakuya may be arrogant, but he's no fool."

"True enough." Celeste agreed. "The smart thing would to be to wait until he knows for sure that the others won't accuse him."

"Or wait as everyone else eliminate each other one by one." Mukuro added. "Surviving through the whole game doesn't necessarily mean killing somebody and deceiving everyone else."

"Um, let's stop all this strategizing please." Sayaka pleaded, concerned about where this topic was going.

 **Makoto was silent through all of this. After a moment, however, he spoke up. "Um, sorry but could we hold on just a second?" He requested. "I….I think we need to talk about this a little more."**

" **Huh? Do you really need to?" Hiro sighed. "We've already decided who did it."**

"Do you want to die?" Celeste questioned incredulously. "Cause it seems that way to me."

"No I don't!"

"Then you need to stop be so quick to decide on who the killer is." Kyoko scolded him, hiding her irritation. In fact, several of her classmates needs to stop that way of thinking. Jumping to conclusions that quickly in their current situation is extremely dangerous, if not fatal.

" **I know, but still…." Makoto persisted. "There's something that still bothering me…."**

" **Is that right? And what, pray tell, is still bothering you?" Byakuya questioned. "I killed her in the girls locker room, then disguised my crime. Specifically, I dressed it up to make look like it was the work of a homicidal psychopath. What about all that 'bothers' you?"**

' _ **Wait….'**_ **Makoto thought, processing what Byakuya said.** ' _ **What was that just now? Something's not right….'**_

The present Makoto also caught that. ' _I almost forgot about that. The possible crime scene switch!'_

 **Makoto then decided to speak up. "You say you killed Chihiro in the girls locker room, right? But are you sure about that? Isn't it possible that the murder took place somewhere else?"**

 **That earned a scoff from the heir. "How disappointing…." He said in disdain. "What kind of question is that? Even in the world of disappointments, this is a true letdown. She was found dead in the girls locker room. There is absolutely no question about that. How could the scene of the crime be anywhere else?"**

" **Well….I think it's entirely possible that she was killed somewhere else, then carried there later…." Makoto theorized. "...along with the rest of the murder scene."**

The last part got everyone's attention. "The rest of the murder scene?" Junko repeated in 'confusion', covering up the fact that she's leading him on to reveal more information. "What the heck are you talking about?"

Kyoko, who quickly caught on beforehand, made the deduction for them. "You're talking about the posters and floor mats being switched, aren't you?" Makoto nodded.

"What are you talking about?" Taka questioned. "What does the posters and mats being switched have to do with anything?"

"I think that question will be answered soon." Mukuro interjected before more people could ask for answers.

" **The….rest of the murder scene?" Byakuya said in surprise. He then narrowed his eyes at the lucky student and addressed him. "That was awfully specific. Please tell me you have a reason for saying all of that."**

"Wait a minute, was Byakuya taken off-guard?" Leon asked with wide eyes.

"I believe he was." Celeste confirmed, amused by his reaction. "And he was so confident before…."

"Did he not realize the that scene of the crime could've been somewhere else?" Kyoko asked.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Mondo demanded in frustration. "How could Byakuya not know? He's the one who killed Chihiro, isn't he?"

"Considering I don't know, it probably means that I didn't kill her." Byakuya said crisply.

Mondo growled at him, but before he could snap at him, Chihiro grabbed his arm, giving him a silent plead to calm down. Sighing, which sounded more like a growl, he calmed down. Well, as calm as he could be right now.

" **I believe I do…." Makoto responded back.** ' _ **Hey, Byakuya….did you just….did I take you off-guard?'**_ **He asked to himself.** ' _ **When the story suddenly moved to the crime scene, Byakuya, who'd been so confident up until now, maybe didn't even realize that the actual scene of the crime could have been somewhere else.'**_

" **Hey, don't just move on without permission!" Taka interjected. "What do you mean she was killed somewhere else?!"**

" **Come on, Makoto!" Byakuya pushed. "If there's any chance the murder took place somewhere else, let's see the proof!"**

 **Shaking his head out of his thoughts, he begin explaining. "The proof that she was killed somewhere else is….the poster that's hanging in each locker room."**

" **Your proof….is some posters?" Byakuya asked, baffled.**

" **The poster in the girls' locker room was…." Taking out his e-Handbook, Makoto showed them the posters. "A picture of a supermodel. But don't you think that kind of strange? Why would the girls locker room have a poster like that?"**

" **I bet those massive jug of hers were totally fake!" Jill stated, ending the statement with some laughter.**

"Hey! I was going to say that!" Junko complained.

That earned a few sighs or facepalms. "Was that comment necessary?" Byakuya groaned, ignoring Junko.

"Of course it was! Nobody else was going to!" Genocide Jill said proudly.

"That because we learned a thing called decency." Leon remarked dryly.

 **Makoto ignored the serial killer. "Meanwhile, the boys locker room had a poster of the super popular boy band, Tornado. Again, that doesn't really seem to belong in a boys locker room."**

" **So you're saying that maybe the posters were switched?" Celeste clarified.**

" **And there's one other thing I noticed about the locker room…." Makoto continued. "You know what I'm talking about, right Sakura?"**

" **You're referring to my protein coffee, aren't you?" Sakura deduced.**

" **...Protein coffee?" Hifumi asked in confusion.**

" **While I was in the girls locker room earlier, I spilled some protein coffee on the carpet." Sakura explained. "But I noticed that after the murder, the stain had been totally scrubbed away."**

" **The stain on the girls locker room carpet wasn't scrubbed away." Makoto told her, pulling up the picture of the stain. "In fact, I found it on the boys locker room carpet."**

" **That's….definitely the stain from the protein coffee!" Sakura exclaimed in confirmation.**

" **Then….does that mean that the carpets were switched, too?" Celeste asked. "But….why would anyone do that?"**

"Like Makoto said before, to move the murder scene from one place to another." Mukuro said. "That is possible."

"Not only is it a possibility, but it's most likely true." Kyoko said. "The coffee stain, which Sakura confirm that it was the same stain she spilled, is proof of that."

"But, why would anyone even bother switching the crime scene?" Celeste pointed out. "That seems like an awfully wasted amount of time."

' _...Maybe to hide the fact that Chihiro is a boy?'_ Makoto thought to himself. ' _That way, the list of suspects would either point to the girls or anyone?'_ One thing he's certain of, however, is that if the murder scene has been switched, it was one of the guys that did it.

" **To move the murder scene from one locker room to the other." Makoto theorized. "It's certainly plausible, don't you think?"**

" **What?!" Taka exclaimed in shock.**

" **In other words, in order to completely swap the scene of the crime, the bloodstain carpet and the posters were moved along with the dead body." Makoto explained. "By doing this, the killer was able to change the entire room where the murder took place."**

" **I can certainly follow your reasoning, but….why would the culprit bother doing that?" Celeste asked.**

" **Huh…?" Was Makoto's response to the question.**

" **Why would they go to all the trouble of switching the scene of the crime?" Celeste inquired. "Actually, an even bigger question….if the murder did take place in the boys locker room, then how did Chihiro get in the boys locker room in the first place?"**

" **Ah-!" Makoto gasped, eyes wide, realizing the hole in his argument.**

" **To get into the girls locker room, you have to swipe your e-Handbook across the card reader device." Celeste reminded them. "But Chihiro's handbook should have only allowed her access to the girls locker room. She had no way to get into the boys locker room to begin with."**

Several eyes widen at that. "Ah, that's a good point!" Taka realized. "With the card reader, it would make it impossible for her to get in!"

"And she can't get in with Leon's handbook, since it's broken." Kyoko remembered, frowning.

"Then, maybe she hacked into her own handbook and changed it?" Hina suggested. She turn to the programmer, who didn't speak for a while. "What do you think, Chihiro?"

The programmer looked down. "Maybe. If Monokuma didn't add anything to prevent that." She said quietly.

" **No, she DID have a way!" Hiro stated in confidence. "And I can tell what it was!"**

" **I highly doubt that." Was Celeste response.**

" **Shut up! I'm telling you, I know how she could have done it!" Hiro insisted.**

"Why can't you just believe in me for once?" Hiro griped.

That earned an annoyed sigh from Celeste. "To even ask such a question…."

 **The non-stop debate began once again, with Celeste doing the talking first. "Is it really possible?" Celeste questioned. "Could Chihiro really have gotten into the boys locker room somehow?"**

" **Ah! I've got it!" Taka spoke in realization. "She must have hacked her e-Handbook! She was the Ultimate Programmer, after all. I'm sure it would've been no problem for her!"**

" **No, I don't think that's it…." Hiro disagreed. "She used the thing that was in the main hall!"**

" **Huh? What thing?" Hifumi asked.**

" **I'm talking about Leon's handbook, of course!" Hiro answered.**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **The bullet was shot as Makoto spoke up. "No, I don't think Chihiro used Leon's handbook."**

" **Why not?!" Hiro exclaimed.**

" **Because Leon's handbook was broken." Was the simple answer given.**

" **Oh! Well then yeah, I guess that'd be pretty impossible, huh?" Hiro said in response.**

Some were stunned at how quickly Hiro gave up. "Seriously? You gave up that quickly?" Leon asked in disbelief.

"Hey, I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong." Hiro said with a shrug.

"Probably one of the few good traits about you." Sayaka remarked with an eye roll.

" **I am struck silent by how quickly you gave up…" Sakura sighed.**

" **Plus, isn't there a regulation against using someone else's handbook?" Celeste questioned.**

" **Actually, the rule states that loaning your handbook is prohibited. It says nothing about borrowing one." Byakuya pointed out. "In other words, you could borrow a dead person's handbook all you want, and you'd be safe."**

" **Yup, yup, yup! Hit the square nail square on the noggin!" Monokuma confirmed.**

" **Of course, if it were broken, that wouldn't make any sense anyway…." Byakuya said.**

" **So then, she must have hacked hers like I said!" Taka stated. "She used her Ultimate Programmer skills and-!"**

" **Bzzzt!" Monokuma interjected. "You can't fix an e-Handbook. The instant you open one up, a security buzzer starts blaring!"**

"Well, that roots out that theory." Hina sighed. "Isn't there any other way to get into the boys locker room?"

"Nothing that I could think of." Sakura sighed. "She can't hack her handbook nor can she use Leon's handbook."

"Does that mean Makoto's theory is wrong?" Junko asked, looking forward to see him wrong for once.

"So it would seem." Celeste said with her own sigh. "There isn't any other way for a girl to enter the boys locker room."

' _...No.'_ Makoto thought to himself. ' _It is possible for Chihiro to enter the boys locker room.'_ Unfortunately, he, Leon, and Mondo are the only ones who knew of Chihiro's secret.

" **So if she didn't use Leon's handbook, and she didn't modify her own…." Sakura trailed off.**

" **...Maybe Mr. Naegi's initial assumption is just….wrong?" Hifumi finished.**

" **It seems like there's no other way she coulda get into the boys locker room, so I guess so…." Hina sighed.**

" **Okay then, I vote for Byakuya!" Taka declared.**

Byakuya scowled. "Is that it, then? Are they going to vote for me as the culprit?"

"The evidence suggests that you did it, Byakuya!" Taka told him. "There's no going around that!" Mondo nodded in agreement, still looking extremely angry.

Makoto and Leon, meanwhile, frowned, and looked at one another. They both know that Chihiro is a boy, which means that the programmer could easily enter the boys locker room. However, no one else, aside from Mondo and Chihiro herself, knows that, and their future selves doesn't know that either.

They both could see that in order to survive the trial, and find the real culprit, Chihiro's true gender needs to be reveal somehow.

Chihiro, coming to the same conclusion, found herself in a very difficult situation. On one hand, if they don't find out, they could all die but on the other hand….the thought of her friends knowing her secret terrified her.

 **Makoto was silent through all this.** ' _ **Is that it, then?'**_ **Makoto asked himself.** ' _ **Chihiro was killed in the girls locker room, and Byakuya's the one who did it? Really? But still….I don't know what else I can do….'**_

" **...Hold on a second." Kyoko finally spoke up. "I agree with you, though. I think you're on the right track."**

The fact that Kyoko spoke, after so long, caused them to jolt in surprise. "She speaks!" Junko announced dramatically.

"What do you mean, Kyoko?" Taka inquired in confusion. "How could he be in the right track, when it isn't possible for Chihiro to enter the boys locker room?"

"I'm not sure." Kyoko murmured, her eyes narrowed. There's something her future self knows that they don't. What is it?

" **What the-? You finally decide to open you mouth, and that's what you've got to say?" Mondo exclaimed. "There's no way she could get in the boys locker room, right?! So-!"**

" **Why are you so sure she couldn't get in?" Kyoko inquired. "There's still one other way she could have gained access."**

" **...What?!" Mondo said in shock.**

Her words also surprised the others. "What the hell? What do you mean, there's another way?" Mondo demanded. Inwardly, however, realization hit him as the possible way for Chihiro to get in hit his angry addled mind.

' _Ooooh, so the detective figured it out!'_ Junko giggled in her mind. ' _Oh, this drama is gonna be entertaining to watch!'_

Chihiro, meanwhile, has her eyes wide, terror forming in her heart. She knows. She figured it out.

" **What are you talking about?! What other way is there?!" Taka demanded for answers.**

" **Well, to explain that, why don't we take a little break from the trial?" Kyoko suggested. "I'd like you all to see to come see something."**

"Huh?" Hina tilted her head in confusion. "What do she want us to see?"

"It must be something important if she want us to see it for ourselves." Byakuya said, crossing his arms. "But would Monokuma even allow it?"

" **Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Just what do you think you're doing?!" Monokuma demanded.**

" **Don't worry. This'll make the whole trial more exciting." Kyoko reassured. "I'm sure that thought must please you?"**

" **Huh? It'll make things more exciting?" Monokuma asked, eagerness in his tone. "Well alright then! I declare an official class trial recess!"**

"That answers that question." Junko remarked defeatedly. Mentally, she pouted. Curse Kyoko for exploiting her own weakness like that!

Chihiro stiffened even more, the fear and anxiety slowly increasing. Is Kyoko going to reveal her secret to them? Is she going to them her true gender? Though she really hoped it wasn't, it was just a desperate false hope to convince herself to stay composed.

" **Huh? For real?" Hina said in shock.**

" **Now then, what is it you wanna show us?" Monokuma inquired. "It better not be boring, or I'll be very unhappy….!"**

" **Oh, I have no doubt it'll meet your lofty expectations." Kyoko reassured once again. "Now, shall we go?"**

"Ooooh, this is getting interesting!" Jill commented on cheerfully. "Wonder what Miss Sherlock is going to show us!"

"Knowing Kyoko, I know it has to be something important." Makoto said. Inwardly, however, he knows that it's most likely Chihiro's gender that she wants to reveal to them.

 **The scene switched to the group entering the girls locker room. "...The girls locker room?" Makoto said in surprise.**

" **We've already searched this place top to bottom!" Taka reminded Kyoko. "What are you trying to pull, missy?!"**

" **I'd like you to examine the victim's body, one more time." Kyoko requested. "Be sure to examine the entire body very carefully. Take your time."**

"Wh-What?!" Chihiro exclaimed, her voice high in fear.

"The hell?!" Mondo cursed, turning to Kyoko. "What do you mean examine the entire body?"

"You mean like….touching her?" Hifumi hesitantly asked, looking very creeped out. Many of the others also looked disturbed by this, even those like Byakuya and Celeste.

"That would be extremely disrespectful!" Taka stated, though his usual passion is a bit diminished.

"I think there's something there that my future self wants the others to see, or feel." Kyoko mused. Her eyes then widen slightly as a possibility occurred to her. Could it be….

" **Examine, her….carefully? Like, using our hands?" Hifumi inquired. Immediately, he recoiled in disgust. "Nowaynowaynowaynoway!"**

" **It's….probably best if I don't run my hands all over a girl's dead body…." Taka said, looking disturbed.**

" **I-It's not that I'm creeped out or anything. It's just….based on religious grounds, you know….?" Hiro said as an excuse. The look on the other guys' faces says that they aren't doing it either.**

Junko huffed. "All of you guys are such wimps!"

"Like any of us would want to touch a dead girl's body!" Leon said in retort. He shuddered. "Even Hifumi has standards."

" **...Very well. I'll do it." Sakura said in resignation.**

" **B-But you're a girl." Hina protested. "You shouldn't have to touch a dead body. Just let one of the boys do it…."**

" **No, it's okay. I think Chihiro would rather have a girl examine her." Sakura reassured. "So just leave this to me…."**

" **S-Sakura…."**

" **What is this, some kind of secret girl-on-girl action?!" Jill inquired eagerly. "Is that what you two are about?!"**

" **That's not it at all! Stop screwin' around!" Hina denied.**

"Seriously, you always think it's like that!" Hina complained, glaring at the serial killer. "We're just friends! Best friends!"

"Denial can only get you so far!"

"It's not denial!"

At this point, Chihiro is shaking, curling herself even tighter. Her eyes are wide with anxiety, fear, and distress. She knew this could this happen, knew that there was a big possibility of her secret being revealed when the investigation started. Despite convincing herself that it may have been something else, she knew this was bound to happen.

Her anxiety wasn't unnoticed by her classmates. "Chihiro? Are you okay?" Sakura asked, concern lacing in her voice.

"Is Cherry really that concerned about being felt up while dead?" Jill commented on casually. "It isn't that big a deal, is it?"

"You, need to shut up!" Leon yelled in her defense as he knew why Chihiro is acting this way.

Mondo, meanwhile, is growling and clenching his fist tightly. Anger is building up at the fact that Chihiro's secret is going to be revealed without her consent.

" **Okay, here I go…." Sakura then faced the dead body of Chihiro. "I'm sorry, Chihiro. Please excuse the intrusion…." Putting her hand together in a brief prayer, Sakura began to examine the body carefully.**

Chihiro then began hyperventilating. The sight finally caused Mondo to snap. "Stop this!" Mondo roared, startling everyone as he stood. He glared directly at the host of the watching. "Stop this fucking thing right now!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't." Spirit said calmly. "This is one of the many important parts of the future that you all need to see."

"Like hell it is!" Mondo glared at their host. "We don't need to see any of it! It's obvious that it was fucking Togami!"

"This scene might say otherwise." Togami interjected coldly. "There's obviously something here that is important. It would most likely be shown in the trial, so your point is invalid."

"Why you….!" As Mondo stood up to try and pumble either Byakuya or Spirit, Chihiro grabbed his arm.

"M-Mondo, don't." Chihiro pleaded. "We don't have a choice. They need to know, in order to continue."

"But Chihiro-"

"Please Mondo. It's going to be revealed even if we don't watch this scene." Chihiro told him. She then took a deep breath, building up as much courage as she could. "I….I have to be brave. I have to be strong. So please, don't try to hurt anyone."

Mondo stared at the programmer for a long moment before slowly settling down. He clenched his knees angrily as the others stared at the two with mixed caution, confusion, and sympathy.

Chihiro took another deep breath before settling down with a look of determination. Sh-...He have to brave. He had to be strong. If they don't continue, then "it" will happen. And the rest of his friends will die.

" **Be sure to check her entire body, and I believe we will solve this particular mystery." Kyoko reminded her.**

" **Her entire body….? I know you say that, but…." Sakura's eyes widen as she felt a certain area. "What-? This is….what does this m-?" She then let out a roar of outrage and disbelief.**

The roar startled several of the others. "W-What the heck?!" Leon exclaimed, still on the defensive on Chihiro's behalf. "What on earth are you feeling?"

"I'm….not sure." Sakura said, also surprised by her counterpart's outburst.

Chihiro flinched at the outburst, but did his best to keep his look of determination. Still, the roar caused to shaking a little once again.

" **What is it?!" Makoto asked, startled.**

" **Not possible….it's not possible!" Sakura said in denial, staring wildly at Chihiro's lifeless form and trembling. "This….this girl is….!"**

" **Is what?!" Hina demanded.**

" **...is a boy!" Sakura revealed.**

The revelation stunned the entire group. Several eyes widen, mouths were agape, even Kyoko, who had began feeling suspicious, couldn't help but feel at least a bit surprised.

"Wh-Wh- Whaaaaat?!" Sakura roared in disbelief. "Chihiro….is a boy?!"

"She is a He?!" Hifumi squealed in pure shock.

"Wha- I- this got to be a joke, right?" Hiro said, shaking his head in denial. "Right?"

"Sakura wouldn't joke about something like this!" Hina told him, her eyes incredibly wide.

"Then…." Taka looked at Chihiro, clearly rattled. "Chihiro, you're a boy?!"

The programmer, who ducked his head and closed his eyes at the outbursts, hesitantly looked up and nodded. "Y-Yes."

"Eeeeeeek! You're a crossdresser?!" Jill squealed in shock and eagerness. "Now I'm really on fire right now!"

Byakuya and Celeste didn't say anything. Just looked at the boy with shock overriding their faces.

"But, why hide the fact that you're a boy?" Sayaka asked, staring at the newly revealed boy with wide eyes. "Why would you dress up as a girl?"

Chihiro curled up tighter, not ready to reveal that story yet. Before he could say anything, however, Makoto spoke up. "Maybe we can talk about it later, after the trial?"

Kyoko narrowed her eyes at Makoto, as well as noticed that Leon wasn't surprised. "You knew about this, didn't you? You and Leon?" She then remembered Mondo's reaction and turned to Mondo. "And you as well, Mondo?"

"All three of you knew?!" Hina questioned in shock.

All three guys nodded in admission. "Chihiro told us a little while ago." Makoto admitted. "He didn't reveal it to everyone yet, so he asked us to keep it a secret."

"I'm surprise you were able to hide it in the first place considering how easy to read you are." Byakuya jabbed at him, taking the opportunity to conceal his recovery from his surprise.

Makoto pouted and took the bait. "Hey! I know how to keep a secret!" He rubbed the back of his head. "While I know I'm not the best liar, I can keep something to myself when I need to."

While Kyoko felt slightly irked that Makoto kept something from her, it was on reasonable grounds. After all, the secret was a personal one.

Chihiro couldn't help but feel extremely anxious at the shocked looks on several of her friends' faces, especially Sakura's. Will they hate her now? Be angry and disgusted at her for dressing up like a girl?

" **Ah, I see." Hifumi spoke calmly. "So 'she' was actually a he. Interesting. Thank you for confirming this fact." When the revelation finally finished processing in his mind, he screamed out in shock. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"**

" **...You're joking, right?" Hiro asked blankly.**

" **I wouldn't joke about this!" Sakura answered.**

" **Th-Th-Then….Then it's really true?!" Taka exclaimed in shock.**

 **Makoto looked at Chihiro's body with very wide eyes. "Chihiro was….a guy?"**

"I'm surprised misses detective or Mr. Pompous figured it out." Junko pointed out.

"I'm….surprised as well." Kyoko admitted. In hindsight, there were several clues that pointed out Chihiro's actual gender. But she dismissed them all due to the boy's shyness.

Plus, she had to admit, Chihiro played a very convincing girl. Maybe one day... she would have to ask him on how to identify such people.

" **Hmm?" Monokuma tilted his head at this. "Oh what, you guys didn't know? Heck, I knew right off the bat! Chihiro Fujisaki was totally a guy!"**

" **Th-Then….he was a cross-dresser?!" Jill squealed. "Now I'm REALLY on fire! I wish I HAD killed him!"**

Chihiro suddenly shook in fear from the threat, especially when he saw Genocide Jack looking at him with renewed murderous curiosity.

Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who noticed. "Back off, you murderous psycho!" Mondo growled warningly, holding his arm in front of Chihiro as if to block her from the boy. "You ain't laying a finger on him!"

"If you want to get at Chihiro, you'll have to deal with us first!" Leon backed Mondo up, standing up from his seat and whipping out a metal bat out of nowhere.

Sakura then decided to speak up, shocking Chihiro. "I agree." Sakura said, glaring dangerously at Jill. Though she remained sitting, she was prepared to act at once if Jill tried anything. "If you even attempt to harm her, I will show you no mercy."

Chihiro looked at everyone in surprise, but specifically at Sakura. Why is she defending him? Even after the reveal that he's a boy?

"But, he's an adorable boy! A crossdresser!" Jill whined in defeat. "That kind of thing really makes me on fire!"

"We won't have any of your scissors near him!" Hina declared, also getting up and glaring at her. "So don't even try it!" The serial killer pouted childishly at this.

' _Something tells me that Chihiro is going to have bodyguards for a while.'_ Makoto thought with a sweatdrop. He knew that Genocide Jack would give up as soon as Byakuya orders her to, but the others might not be swayed so easily.

" **So that's what Kyoko wanted to show everyone, huh? Interesting…." Monokuma let out his signature laugh. "Yes, that certainly does make things much more exciting! Now let's ride this wave of excitement back to the courtroom and get back to the trial!"**

"So, this new information changes a lot of thing." Kyoko mused. "Makoto's initial theory is now very plausible, since Chihiro is a boy."

"Assuming that his handbook registers him as a boy." Celeste pointed out.

That's when Chihiro decided to answer. "Mine does." He admitted. "I couldn't lie to the headmaster so I asked him to keep it a secret."

"And since anyone can get Sayaka's or Junko's handbook, it would be easy to transfer his body from the boys locker room to the girls locker room." Byakuya continued for Celeste.

"That still doesn't mean your innocent, Togami!" Mondo pointed out angrily.

The heir pushed his glasses to his face. "We shall see."

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next up should at least finish up the trial. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**


	39. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P15

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I wasn't able to finish up the trial on this chapter. But I did get close. And it turned to yet another very long chapter. Here, they're going to figure out that it was Mondo who did it. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Next chapter is up! Class trial is wrapping up and we'll be entering another inter-chapter break!**

 **Questions:**

 **Q: Will Spirit tell the class about the underwear friendship ritual (giving of underwear at friendship 5)?  
L: I don't know what the deal is with underwear exchanging in Anime and Anime games, but since we've come this far without it, probably not. There's no reason for it (I'd like to know if I'm wrong.) and it's only in the game for fan service as far as I know.  
S: Yeah, like Lucky said, there's no reason to put it in here and it's only served as fan service in the game.**

 **Q: Will people compare Makoto's luck to Nagito's here?  
L: I don't see chances of this happening until Chapter 5, and even then, that's still quite a ways off that neither I or Spirit probably thought of yet. I will say that, everyone is aware of Nagito's existence since class 78 attended Hope's Peak long enough for everyone to be close friends, and so it would only be natural that they would be aware of their senpais.  
S: Same here. I don't see any comparisons happening until Chapter 5, where Makoto's lucky really shines, as well as Danganronpa 2.**

 **Q: Sato and Natsumi in Class 77 watches the future?  
L: Seeing how they are only relevant in chapter 2 of DR2, it would be sort of pointless for them to stay for the entire ride. A cast of 16 main characters is already a large roster, and adding in two characters that will only be relevant for 1 chapter wouldn't make too much sense. And this is a real shame since Natsumi is a extremely underrated character.  
S: Agreed. Plus, the two of them already died by the time Class 78th got there, so there's no reasonable way for them to join group.**

Chapter 38: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 15

 **The screen then faded into back before showing everyone in the trial room once again. "Ahem! I do apologize for keeping you waiting. Now then, let's resume the class trial!" Monokuma declared. "We've all just learned of the shocking revelation that Chihiro was actually a boy! Let's it pick up from there!"**

" **Yes, well….I don't know his reason for hiding it, but the fact is, Chihiro was not a girl, but a boy." Kyoko stated.**

' _ **To think that Chihiro….was actually a guy.'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **The thought had never even crossed my mind….'**_

"It never crossed any of our minds." Junko said. She then got into her teacher persona. "Not even the geniuses Byakuya or Kyoko were able to figure it out!"

Byakuya sighed. "To think I was able to be deceived like this... I will have to be more diligent next time."

"Well, Chihiro did play a mighty convincing girl." Leon remarked with a smirk.

" **And because the victim was male, he would have had no problem getting access to the boys' locker room." Kyoko continued.**

" **Assuming his handbook did, in fact, list his gender as male…." Byakuya pointed out. "Then yes, that would be true."**

" **Of course his handbook said he was a boy!" Monokuma confirmed. "He dressed like a girl, but he was a boy through and through!"**

" **So then, there should be no issue with Makoto's initial assertion…." Kyoko said. "The victim was killed in the boys locker room, and was then later moved into the girls locker room. And the killer could've easily used Junko's or Sayaka's handbooks to get into the girls locker room."**

" **So Chihiro was really killed in the boys locker room?!" Taka gasped in shock.**

" **I still don't understand the motive for moving the body, but….yes, that does seem plausible." Kyoko confirmed.**

"Maybe it's to hide the fact Chihiro is a boy?" Makoto suggested. "So it would be harder for us to connect the dots?"

"That is the most immediate possibility." Kyoko said.

" **Well….I must admit, I did find it rather odd…." Byakuya admitted. "I knew he felt a little….off. There was a certain incongruity to his 'female' body."**

" **This is a most titillating situation!" Jill exclaimed with a heavy blush.**

" **So now everything has been connected." Byakuya mused. "All the mysteries have finally become clear."**

" **Okay, well, connected or clear or whatever….we still think you're the killer, remember?" Hina pointed out.**

 **The heir ignored her, and chuckled to himself. "Very interesting. This has become very interesting indeed…."**

" **Ahh, he's off in his own little world…." Hifumi sighed.**

"Okay then, I'm starting to think that he isn't really the killer." Junko stated obviously. Even she was getting tired of watching that. "He's just too carefree about this."

"But maybe that's a trick to make us think he isn't the killer?" Hifumi suggested.

"No, I don't think that's a trick." Makoto disagreed. "While Byakuya is smart, I don't think he's capable of that kind of deceit. He still prone to surprise and panic like all of us." Especially when things don't go his way.

" **What about you, Makoto?" Kyoko asked the luckster. "After everything we've learned, do you still think Byakuya's the killer?"**

" **Well, without a doubt Byakuya's the one that made Chihiro's death look like Genocide Jack did it." Makoto answered confidently. However, just as quickly as his confidence came, it was replaced with doubt. "But….but I….I think he might not be actually be the killer after all."**

" **What? But aren't you the one who accused him in the first place?" Hifumi pointed out.**

"That doesn't mean that I can't say that I was wrong." Makoto said with a frown. "I'm willing to admit that I made a mistake."

"And that's a good quality to have, especially now. Pride is the one thing we can't afford to have in the trial." Sakura stated in approval.

"Also, there's nothing wrong with new information being admitted into court that would change how a case will proceed. Not everything can be made with the initial evidence available." Kyoko added.

" **He just seems to be too….easy going about all this. Like he's enjoying us solving the mystery…." Makoto explained. "The way he's acting, it makes it seem like it doesn't have anything to do with him."**

" **And you think that might be because it doesn't have anything to do with him?" Celeste asked.**

" **Plus, the evidence he left behind was a little too….how can I put it? Overt." Makoto pointed out. "He consciously chose the extension cord, knowing it could connect him to the murder. At least, that's how I see it…."**

 **Byakuya remained silent at Makoto's explanation. "And Byakuya, when you found out the murder took place in the boys locker room, it seemed to rattle you." The luckster continued. "And then again when you found out Chihiro was actually a guy. If you really were the killer, that stuff wouldn't have had any effect on you."**

"Those are some good points." Celeste agreed with. "After all, human emotion is genuinely honest."

"While there isn't any concrete reasoning in there, it would be something my future self will accept." Byakuya stated.

"So….Byakuya didn't kill Chihiro?" Hina asked for confirmation.

" **So that's what you're thinking, huh?" Byakuya rhetorically asked. "Well, it bothers me that you don't have more concrete reasoning, but….it's fine. I guess I'll mark it as correct, for the time being."**

" **Mark it as….correct?" Hina repeated in confusion.**

" **He's right. I am not the culprit." Byakuya confirmed. "I just happened to come across the corpse in the girls locker room, and decided to alter it."**

"What?! Is he fucking serious?!" Mondo roared.

"Yeah! Does he really expect us to believe that easily?" Taka agreed with Mondo.

"And if he is telling the truth….why he would he mess with Chihiro's body like that?" Sayaka questioned, looking a bit sick.

" **Are you fucking with us right now….?" Mondo growled.**

" **No, I am not….effing with you right now. I'm telling you the truth." Byakuya told him.**

" **Well I find it very hard to believe!" Taka stated.**

" **Go ahead, find it very hard to believe." Byakuya said nonchalantly. "You're free to be executed along with the rest of us."**

" **If you're really telling the truth, then….why? Why'd you do that to his body?" Hina asked him angrily.**

" **My reasons hardly matter right now." Byakuya replied callously. "Uncovering the culprit is much more important, wouldn't you say?"**

"Like hell he is going to chicken out!" Mondo exclaimed angrily.

"Yeah! Man up and answer the damn question!" Leon immediately agreed with Mondo. If it weren't for the possibility of those chains being summoned, he probably would've punched the TV. Or Byakuya. Maybe both.

"Unfortunately, Byakuya is correct." Kyoko sighed. "We need to focus on who else could've done it first, then question him as to why he did what he did."

"And I doubt Monokuma would let the trial go astray." Makoto agreed with the detective. "So, we don't have a choice but to focus on finding the culprit."

" **Now then….if it wasn't me, who was it?"**

" **W-Well….I don't think I can say for sure without talking about a little more." Makoto responded hesitantly.**

" **We're seriously gonna keep going?" Hiro complained. "We're all good, aren't we? I thought it was clear Byakuya did it!"**

"Has he been listening to anything Makoto and Kyoko has been saying?" Junko questioned rhetorically. "Cause what they all said so far points to the possibility of Byakuya not being the culprit."

"Hiro, you are taking this trial way too casually." Sayaka sighed in annoyance. It's like the fortune teller forgot that if they get it wrong, then they will all die.

" **No, I'm with Makoto." Kyoko said. "If there's any doubt whatsoever, we need to explore every possibility. Because if we're wrong, we all die here."**

" **...That's true. Very well, then, I'm with you, too." Celeste conceded.**

" **Damn straight! Count me in!" Hiro stated confidently.**

" **Do you not have a mind of your own?!" Taka demanded in frustration.**

" **Of course I do!" Hiro responded back in anger. "What am I, an ant or somethin'?"**

"You may as well be." Byakuya remarked, with some nodding in agreement. "With the way you easily agree with the most popular opinion, it very much implies you don't have your own mind."

"Like future me said, I do!"

"Then act like it!" Taka retorted. Honestly, he's not sure how he had put up with Hiro's laziness all these months.

" **Anyway, let's discuss this all as a group one more time." Makoto said, changing the subject. "We still have time to make our decision."**

" **That's very true…." Sakura agreed.**

" **Our lives are all on the line…." Hina said nervously.**

" **Excellent! Then shall we resume our game of hide and seek?" Byakuya inquired.**

' _ **But if Byakuya didn't do it, then who's the real killer? Who murdered Chihiro?'**_ **Makoto asked himself.** ' _ **One thing we can be sure about is that the killer is a guy. Since the crime scene was the boys locker room, you would need a boy's handbook to get in. And since Leon's Handbook is apparently broken, the killer would have had to use their own.'**_

"Which means the suspects are Mondo, Taka, Hifumi, and Hiro." Kyoko listed off. "Makoto is off the list, for obvious reasons. And Byakuya's guilt is questionable as of now."

"So our list of suspects are narrowed down to those four boys." Celeste summarized.

"I still think that Togami did it!" Mondo stated, but then aim his glare at Hifumi and Hiro. "But I'm willing to bet those two as possible killers!"

"Hey! Don't pick us out!" Hiro protested.

"Y-Yeah!" Hifumi quickly agreed. "You and Taka could've easily done it too!"

"Like hell we would kill Chihiro!"

"Yeah! Mondo and I wouldn't even think about harming Chihiro!" Taka agreed with his best friend.

"Perhaps we are still too hasty with our conclusions. Everyone calm down." Sakura said, mediating the room.

Kyoko's eyes narrowed in thought. ' _I wouldn't be too sure about that.'_ She thought to herself. With the knowledge of Chihiro being a boy, a conversation during the investigation came up in her mind. One tiny detail that triggered her curiosity. And now she knows why.

' _ **But that's still not enough….I need to find some more clues.'**_

 **After that thought, the nonstop debate started up once again. This time, it was Sakura spoke first. "Isn't there a single clue that might lead us to who did it?"**

" **Well, clues are one thing, but, did nobody get a look at the killer?!" Taka inquired to everyone.**

" **I'm sure if someone saw the killer, they woulda said something by now…." Hiro pointed out.**

" **Perhaps someone saw the victim at some point." Sakura suggested. "Even that might be enough for now…."**

" **Yeah, all we need right now is any kind of new info!" Hina agreed.**

" **It's over….it's all over….!" Hiro cried in misery. "You wanna know who saw the victim? The killer! And only the killer…."**

" **No, that's wrong!" Makoto spoke up loudly. The bullet was shot as Makoto continued speaking. "I believe someone else did see the victim before he was murdered. What do you think, Celeste?"**

"Oh, right! Celeste did see Chihiro during the night!" Hina gasped in realization.

"Finally! We got something!" Taka expressed with relief.

"Hopefully, it can lead to something." Byakuya said.

" **Now that you mention it, yes. I did see him." Celeste confirmed.**

" **Huh? Really?" Hifumi asked in surprise.**

" **Oh, but I suppose only Makoto knows about this." Celeste mused. "The rest of you had no idea, did you? That is why you're all making such ugly noises."**

"Why bother hiding it that info at all?" Taka questioned. "That would've been something we all would've liked to know!"

"Most likely because my future self doesn't trust most of you." Celeste explained. "Any of us could be the killer, and if I told them, my life would've been at risk. The killer might've chosen to silence me, to keep it a secret."

"Then why tell Mr. Naegi?" Hifumi inquired.

"He's the most trustworthy out of all us, of course."

The silence was everyone's response to that answer. After all, no one disagreed with that. Makoto did prove himself to be a honest and trustworthy person countless times.

"Wait a minute, what about the rest of us?" Leon complained.

" **Whatever, just hurry up and tell us!" Taka demanded.**

" **It was last night, right before nighttime." Celeste began recalling. "I saw Chihiro….in the dormitory warehouse. I saw him stuffing a track jacket into a duffel bag. And then, I assume, he headed off to exercise."**

" **A tracket jacket and a duffel bag?" Taka repeated in confusion. "But we didn't find anything like that at the murder scene!"**

" **It seems likely that the culprit destroyed them to get rid of any evidence…." Sakura deduced.**

" **And that's when he said something that struck me as rather odd…." Celeste continued. "Chihiro told me he was 'in a hurry'. But why would he be in a hurry? Only if someone were waiting for him, I should think."**

" **So Mr. Fujisaki was on his way to meet with someone, and then they were going to work out together….?" Hifumi guessed.**

" **But Hina and I had invited him to exercise with us plenty of times, and he always declined…." Sakura pointed out.**

" **Probably cuz was afraid you'd find out the secret he was hiding, right?" Hiro assumed.**

" **Which means that conversely, he must have trusted whoever he was meeting with very much." Celeste deducted. "Enough so that he was willing to risk his secret being revealed…."**

" **Uhuhu! What a marvelous friendship!" Jill commented.**

"But who would Chihiro trust enough to reveal his secret?" Hina asked.

Her question, along with the dialogue itself, caused a few minds to click. ' _Oh no….please don't tell me….I.. did point him towards...'_ Makoto thought in horror. He shook his head. ' _No no no._ _Maybe….maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm just thinking in the wrong_ direction.'

Junko mentally giggled gleefully to herself. ' _So it's Mondo who killed poor old Chihiro? Now that's really despairful! Oh, I can't wait to it unfold before our eyes!'_

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. ' _Someone he would trust….the one would fit the most would be Mondo...'_ However, he isn't completely sure of this. So he kept quiet for now.

" **The point is, whoever he met up with is the culprit, right?" Hina summarized. "So we just gotta figure out who it was!"**

" **But knowing what we know, I can't even guess…." Makoto groaned.**

" **...No, we already have what you need to make the connection." Kyoko declared.**

" **...Huh?" Makoto responded back in confusion.**

"Yeah, what Makoto said. Huh?" Hina said, tilting her head in confusion.

"How can we know that?" Leon remarked in confusion. "There isn't anything that can point fingers at anyone, other than Byakuya."

"I'm not sure." Kyoko said, narrowing her eyes. What her future self trying to do?

" **You know who the killer is." Kyoko stated.**

" **S-Seriously?!" Taka exclaimed in shock.**

"Wow, that was quick!" Jill stated casually.

"Too quick." Byakuya noted, his gaze focused on Kyoko. "And she's not the type to make such declarations so openly."

"So why Kyoko is saying such a thing?" Taka questioned.

" **W-Who is it?!" Who's the killer?!" Mondo asked, demanding for answers.**

" **Think back to the track jacket and duffel bag the killer disposed of." Kyoko told them. "Focus on the details of these items, and it should become obvious who was waiting for him."**

"Really?" Junko said, with obvious disbelief. "Two pieces of evidence that we don't have? Are your detective abilities dulling, Kyoko?"

"I assure you, my skills are fine." Kyoko responded back, hiding her irritation at the claim. "I'm sure my future self has arrived at a conclusion of sorts."

"What is she thinking is the question." Byakuya remarked. "Cause, like Junko pointed out, both pieces of evidence were disposed of before we could get a look at them."

" **...Are you sure about that?" Celeste asked with obvious doubt. "You really think we can figure out who did it based on two pieces of evidence that we don't have?"**

" **What, you wanna track down some fingerprints or something?" Hifumi questioned.**

" **Even if we had the equipment for that, we wouldn't know how to use it!" Taka stated.**

" **As was noted, the evidence is already gone." Byakuya pointed. "There's nothing to get fingerprints from."**

" **Maybe, but we can make certain inferences, if we just take the time to talk it out." Kyoko insisted.**

' _Ah. I didn't make a conclusion,_ _I'm trying to bait out the culprit.'_ Kyoko concluded in her mind, hiding a smirk of her own for taking such a risk. That's the only reason she can think of as to why.

" **Easy for you to say…." Hina sighed. "But fine - Celeste, did you notice anything special about the bag or jacket?"**

" **The bag was….just a normal duffel bag from the warehouse." Celeste explained. "All the bags in there are the same, so I can't imagine what would make that one special…."**

" **Well, if I remember right, there was a decent variety of tracksuits to choose from…." Sakura recalled. "Do you think there might be some connection between the culprit and Chihiro's jacket?"**

" **Perhaps." Kyoko said in response. "Let's explore that and talk a bit more about the jacket he took."**

"Um, am I the only one confused here?" Hiro asked, looking very confused.

"No, your not Hiro." Hina said, looking confused as well. "How is this gonna help us find the culprit?"

"We'll just have to see." Sakura sighed.

As they spoke, Makoto seemed to realize Kyoko's intention. "Wait, don't tell me you're trying to bait the culprit out, are you?" Makoto whispered to Kyoko. The detective nodded.

"I see you caught on."

"It the only reason I could think of as to why you would say those things." Makoto told her. "But do you think that would work?"

"I don't know. But for whatever reason, my future self is confident enough that it will work." Kyoko answered him.

 **The non-stop debate started once again, with Kyoko starting the debate. "First of all, we know where Chihiro was headed…." Kyoko began. "He was on his way to go exercise. So next we have to ask, why did he choose the specific tracksuit that he did?"**

" **What do you mean, the specific tracksuit?" Byakuya questioned.**

" **I got it!" Taka declared. "He picked that tracksuit because….it matched the one the culprit was wearing!"**

" **So what you're saying is….the killer was wearing the same blue tracksuit as him?" Mondo guessed.**

Mondo's question caught the attention of the more intelligent students. One of which was Makoto, who's eyes got wide. ' _Hold on…'_ The luckers thought to himself. ' _How….'_

' _...does Mondo know….'_ Byakuya unknowingly continued, eyes narrowed.

' _...what color tracksuit Chihiro has?'_ Kyoko unknowingly finished, her gaze focused on the biker. ' _It seem the bait has worked.'_

' _ **Huh?'**_ **Was Makoto's thought. The bullet was shot as Makoto spoke up. "Hold on a second, Mondo! What did you just say?"**

" **...Huh? What'd I say?" Mondo asked, confused.**

" **When Celeste testified a few minutes ago, she said that she saw him stuffing the track jacket into a duffel bag and left to go exercise." Makoto explained. "She never said anything about the jacket's color. So why did you say Chihiro's 'blue' tracksuit?"**

Several eyes widen in realization at this. "H-Huh?!" Mondo exclaimed, his anger replaced by shock.

"Now that Makoto mentioned it, why did he say Chihiro's 'blue' track jacket?" Celeste questioned accusingly. "Nobody said that it was blue."

"W-Wait!" Taka protested. "Maybe he's just guessing the color! O-Or maybe he's been told this by someone else!"

"That doesn't sound like a person merely guessing." Byakuya pointed out. "If he was, he wouldn't have said something as definitive as 'same blue tracksuit'."

Chihiro, meanwhile, is staring at the screen, with wide, anxious eyes.

 **Mondo recoiled in shock at this. "What are you-?! You just-!"**

" **Hey, Celeste. What color was Chihiro's tracksuit?" Byakuya immediately asked.**

" **As a matter of fact, it was….blue." Celeste confirmed.**

" **And before we began the trial….did you tell anyone that?" Makoto inquired.**

" **The only one I told about any of this was you." Celeste responded back.**

"Then….how the heck does he knows about the color of the tracksuit?" Hina questioned, wide eyes.

"Could it be that Pompair is the one to kill Cherry?" Jill questioned, looking very interested.

Sakura turned to the biker. "Mondo, your future self has some explaining to do."

"H-Hold on!" Mondo protested. "Maybe…he might've…."

"I-I'm sure there's a reason why he knows!" Taka argued, supporting his friend.

" **Then….Mondo, how did you know what color Chihiro's tracksuit was?" Sakura questioned, turning towards the biker.**

" **B-Because I-! I just-!" Mondo stammered, completely taken off guard.**

" **I-I'm sure he saw the clothes at some point in the investigation….!" Taka suggested nervously.**

"Y-Yeah!" Taka quickly agreed with his future counterpart. "Maybe he spotted them when we were investigating."

"No, that's impossible." Kyoko said flatly. "And I think my future self is about to explain why."

" **No, that can't be it." Kyoko flatly stated. "The bag and clothes were surely disposed of by the time we began our investigation."**

" **Then the only reason he could have known what color the tracksuit was…." Jill began. "...is if he saw Cherry with it before he died! That's the only possibility!"**

" **Cherry….?" Hina repeated in confusion. "Are….are you talking about Chihiro?"**

 **Jill ignored her question. "So, how 'bout it?! Did you see the tracksuit or didn't you?!"**

" **J-Just by chance….I just happened to see it last night…." Mondo quickly explained. "He walked past me, and he was carrying the tracksuit in his hands."**

"No, that's another impossibility." Byakuya stated bluntly. "Chihiro had it stuffed in the duffel bag, remember?"

"T-Then maybe it was hanging out of the bag?" Taka suggested. "That's possible, right?"

"No, it isn't possible." Makoto answered with a shake of his head. Despite not wanting to believe Mondo would do this, he can't look away from facts. "After all, Chihiro made it a point to keep it in the bag."

" **No, that can't be it, either." Makoto interjected. "According to Celeste's testimony, when she noticed it, Chihiro made a point of making sure the jacket was completely in the bag. If you just ran into him briefly, you couldn't possibly have seen what color the tracksuit was."**

Chihiro began shaking once again, disbelief entering his emotions. He can't believe that Mondo is the culprit. That Mondo….is his killer.

" **Gh-! Nggh….!" Was what came out of Mondo's mouth.**

" **It would appear you dug your own grave." Kyoko remarked.**

" **Perhaps, but you handed him the shovel, didn't you?" Byakuya pointed out. "That's why you said what you did. Focus on the tracksuit, and it'll be obvious who he met with? What a bunch of nonsense…."**

" **...Ah, now I understand. It was all one big bluff, wasn't it?" Celeste realized. "Your true intention was to draw a slip of the tongue from the culprit….that's why you said you knew who did it, to put them on edge."**

"And it looked like it worked perfectly." Junko said.

Mondo, however, disagreed. "Don't say that like I'm the culprit!" The biker said heatedly. "It wasn't me!"

"Then how else can you explain your slip of the tongue?" Celeste questioned with an arched eyebrow. "I don't hear any explanation for that."

"T-There's has to be something!" Taka stated in defense for Mondo. Like Chihiro, he can't, or doesn't want to believe that Mondo would kill the programmer. "Bro may skirt the laws, but he isn't a murderer!"

" **That's right." Kyoko confirmed. "However, Mondo was my target all along. I had my suspicions about him from the very beginning!"**

"W-What?!" Mondo was getting more frantic, as well as angry. "What the hell made me so suspicious?!"

"That's what I'd like to know too." Leon said with a frown. While not as bad as Chihiro and Taka, he isn't willing to point fingers at Mondo yet. "I don't remember him doing anything that would make him suspicious."

"You'll see." Kyoko told him. "But it was another slip of the tongue."

" **But why….? What made you so suspicious?" Makoto inquired.**

" **That's a good question." Kyoko said. "There was a certain turning point that tipped me off. Maybe you didn't notice it, Mondo, but you tend to refer to men and women differently. You only call guys 'dude'. For girls, it's 'chick'. And after he was killed, you happened to refer to him as 'dude'."**

"Now that Kyoko mentioned it, Mondo did say that…." Sayaka said, her eyes going wide. "I just didn't think much about it."

"W-Wait a minute, hold on! It's probably just a mistake!" Mondo argued hastily. "I probably just meant to say chick, and ended up saying dude!"

Leon looked down at this, gritting his teeth. "Sorry man, but I doubt you would make a mistake like that." The baseball play said. "Not if you been referring to guys and girls like that for a long time."

"Nggh….!" Mondo gritted his teeth at this, confliction clear in his face.

" **Once I picked up on that, it occured to me Mondo knew something that we didn't."**

" **Y-You noticed such a tiny detail?!" Hifumi asked in shock.**

" **Are you a witch? She's a witch!" Jill declared. "You're positively frightful!"**

" **No, I'm not the frightful one." Kyoko denied, staring directly at Mondo. "Not nearly as frightful as someone capable of murdering a friend."**

" **Kh….!" Was all Mondo could get out at the accusation.**

" **Mondo….was it really you?" Makoto slowly asked. "Did you really….kill Chihiro?"**

"N-NO!" Chihiro yelled, startling everyone. Disbelief and anxiety is clear in his voice, as well as on his face. "M-Mondo couldn't have killed me! He can't have! There's no reason for him to!" Tears began filling his eyes once again. The thought of the person he bonded with most, the person he admired, killing him….it was something he couldn't even think about. "He's….he's my friend." Some felt their heart clench at Chihiro's word

"Chihiro's right! Bro couldn't have killed him!" Taka quickly spoke up, the anxiety also clear in his voice. "The two of them have been close with one another ever since we've all met each other. Mondo wouldn't even have think about harming Chihiro!"

' _Which makes it even more despairful!'_ Junko thought cheerfully. Killing the person you're close with, being killed by the person you admire most….who wouldn't want to watch that kind of drama?

" **I...I….I-I-I…." Finally, Mondo snapped. "I didn't kill anybody! You've been all over me, judging everything I say, putting words in my mouth. What gives you the right to treat me like a goddamn criminal?!"**

"Oh, maybe because you are one?" Byakuya pointed out.

His response was a growl. "I'm a biker, not a murderer! I may have done some stuff to earn a bit of time in juvie, but nothing seriously fucked up!"

" **Y-Yeah!" Taka quickly agreed. "He would never do something like that! This is a false accusation!"**

" **It's true, my reasoning on that is pretty shaky." Kyoko conceded.**

" **Th-That was fast…." Makoto couldn't help but say.**

"It was no use trying to cling on to it." Kyoko said with a shrug. "It would just delay the trial. We need more evidence to pin it on Mondo."

"And there is no evidence and no motive! Which means Mondo isn't the killer!" Taka said firmly. "Like future me said, it was a false accusation!"

"Don't get your hopes up yet. He's still a possible suspect." Byakuya warned him.

"B-But why?!" Chihiro protested.

Celeste was the one to answer that. "His two slips up can't be ignored. While there isn't sufficient enough evidence against him, his words made him a very possible suspect." She frowned. "Changing the subject, it look like our future selves are out of leads."

"Oh crap. That's a problem." Hina moaned.

" **Well, this does present us with a problem." Celeste noted. "It seems we are all out of leads."**

 **Hifumi suddenly started chuckling, drawing the attentions of others. "My time has nearly come…." The fanfic creator declared. "That's what my little ghost friend is telling me!"**

Byakuya raised an eyebrow at that. "What on earth is he on about?"

"Does Hifumi have something we could us?" Makoto wondered.

" **Oh yeah, that reminds me." Makoto said, remembering his conversation with Hifumi. "Hifumi, weren't you telling me you found some evidence….?"**

That got the group's attention. "What?"

"Seriously?"

"What kind?"

Hifumi, who was also surprised, recovered and let out a laugh. "Finally, my chance of triumph has come!"

" **Really?! What kind of evidence?!" Hina asked eagerly.**

 **Hifumi was silent for a moment before his bravado quickly deflated. "Actually, you know….now that I'm thinking about it here calmly, it might not be all that relevant."**

" **Jeez, did your confidence just get up and walk way?" Hiro sighed. "It's fine, man, just tell us!"**

"Agreed." Sakura nodded. "At this point, anything that can be of use is preferable."

"Hopefully, it can help pinpoint to who actually did it." Makoto sighed. Inwardly though, he's nervous about the results. The culprit is most likely either Byakuya or Mondo. And he has a feeling that it is the latter.

" **I-If you really insist, then…." Hifumi said nervously before pulling out a shut down e-Handbook. "Umm….here it is."**

" **Hmmm?" Jill cocked her head to the side. "What do you have here?"**

" **It happens to be an e-Handbook. I found it laying on the ground, so I scooped it up." Hifumi explained.**

"An e-Handbook, just laying on the ground?" Kyoko repeated in thought.

"Then it has to be Chihiro's, right?" Makoto deduced. "After all, it was missing in the crime scene."

"Then do you think that Chihiro's handbook have some sort of clue?" Hina asked excitingly. "Something that can tell us who the culprit is?"

"It is a possibility." Celeste mused.

" **It was just laying around?" Makoto rhetorically asked. "Then it has to be Chihiro's. We know his handbook was missing from the scene of the crime, right?"**

" **For a fact." Kyoko confirmed.**

" **For a fact indeed!" Hifumi declared, getting his confidence back. "I was totally sure I'd found it!"**

" **Then it must hold some clue about the culprit, right?!" Hina inquired.**

" **...Well, that's what I was hoping. But it's busted. It won't even turn on." Hifumi informed them dejectedly.**

"Another broken e-Handbook?" Taka questioned, getting his mind off of the accusation against Mondo for now. "How on earth did that one break?"

"The only one who knows is Monokuma and the culprit himself." Mukuro pointed out. "So right now, the best way to know is to ask the bear himself."

"Let's hope he's willing to give that info." Sayaka groaned. "Or if we're able to pressure him into giving it."

" **I imagine the murderer broke it to get rid of any evidence after the murder." Celeste theorized.**

" **That's odd. I didn't think the handbooks were quite so….fragile." Byakuya commented on.**

" **You're right, they're not!" Monokuma answered. "They're totally waterproof and shock resistant! It would take an awful lot to break one…."**

" **And yet, this one does appear to be broken. As is Leon's, sitting useless in the main hall." Celeste pointed out. "For all your confidence, that is a remarkably high failure rate."**

 **The bear merely responded with his signature laugh. "Do you think there might some kind of mystery in there somewhere?" Monkuma asked. "How, precisely, did the handbooks get broken?"**

 **Makoto was the one to answer that. "You already told us before that the handbook has one weak point, did you?" He pointed out.**

 **Monokuma groaned in annoyance at that. "You remember that?!"**

"Of course we did." Byakuya said with an eye roll. "Did the bear honestly think we would forget that kind of information?"

"It seemed Monokuma slipped up a little." Kyoko noted.

Junko had to fight off a blush of embarrassment. ' _Well, anyone can make a mistake, can't they?'_ She thought to herself.

 **He ducked his head down in embarrassment. "S-Sure, maybe I let that slip, but I never told anyone what the weak point actually was!"**

" **But if the handbook is supposed to never break, and two of them broke in quick succession," Sakura spoke up. "Then…."**

" **Then we can only assume that someone's figured out its weakness." Kyoko concluded. "You know what the weakness is, right Monokuma? So, what is it?"**

" **Huh? You're asking me?" The bear gasped.**

" **I think it's a necessary piece of information if you want this to be a fair trial." Kyoko stated.**

"Yeah!" Hina agreed with detective. "So tell us already, you stupid bear!"

" **But….if I tell you, and someone else decides to copy it, that would be very not good…."**

"Oh come on, that's a crappy excuse!" Hina whined.

"Why would we want to break our own e-handbooks?" Leon remarked. "Just give us the damn info!"

" **Just tell us already!" Hina demanded impatiently. "Why would we wanna break our own handbooks?!"**

 **Monokuma sighed. "Oh well….I have a weakness for pushy demands. But you're sure you won't follow their examples?"**

"We won't! Just tell us!" Several of them exclaimed in annoyance.

" **Then allow me to make a special announcement! The weak point of my cutting-edge e-Handbook is….when it's exposed to high temperatures for too long, it will suffer a meltdown and totally brrreak!" He revealed.**

"Huh?" Now the group of Ultimates are blinking in surprise at the revelation. Sayaka was the one to speak up first. "That's what the weakness was?"

"Then the handbooks must've been in the sauna!" Junko said in realization.

"What makes you think it's in the sauna?" Taka asked.

At the question, Junko got into her teacher persona. "Causing, looking at the open areas in the first and second floor, the only area that has really high temperature is the sauna."

" **I flippin' knew it!" Hifumi suddenly stated.**

" **...You knew it?" Makoto said in shock.**

" **Yeah, cuz I found the handbook laying on the floor of the sauna!" The fanfic creator informed him.**

"And that proves my theory."

"But, then how mine break?" Leon asked, confused. Last he check, the sauna wasn't open while he was still kicking.

As Makoto thought about Leon's question, a thought occurred. ' _...Maybe it wasn't Leon's.'_ He thought. ' _Maybe it was someone. Someone who brought their e-Handbook in the sauna.'_ And there's only one person who would've done it. ' _Mondo….you really did it, didn't you?'_

" **The temperature in the sauna can reach over 200 degrees. Strange how you don't get burnt, huh?!" Monokuma began explaining. "It's because as your sweat evaporates, it creates a cooling layer of air around your skin! If the hot air of the sauna were somehow pushed directly onto your skin, you'd definitely get fried! That layer of air would get blown away. That's why you may feel a burning when you move around. So when you're in a sauna, make sure to keep nice and still!"**

" **Wow, interesting!" Taka mused. "I learned one new fact today!"**

" **That is a mere trifling speck of knowledge!" Hifumi stated.**

Byakuya facepalmed. "Can we not focus on meaningless information?"

"No information is meaningless!" Taka argued. "Learning is the key to a good life! No information is worthless!"

"It is when it's irrelevant to the current situation."

" **Anyway…." Makoto spoke up, trying to get the trial back on track. "If you found the victim's handbook in the sauna….then the killer must've been purposely trying to raise its temperature in order to break it."**

" **Meaning the culprit somehow knew its weakness…." Sakura said.**

" **But how'd they find out?" Hina wondered. "Monokuma said he didn't tell anyone, right?"**

" **Indeed, quite the mystery…." Hifumi agreed.**

" **What if they discovered it by accident?" Kyoko suggested.**

"By accident?" Sakura turned to Kyoko. "How could they found out by accident?"

"Just wait a moment. I think my future self will explain." Kyoko told her.

" **What do you mean, by accident?" Sakura inquired.**

" **What if the killer took their own handbook into the sauna, not knowing its weakness, and it broke?" Kyoko theorized. "They'd realize it was broken, of course, and it wouldn't be hard to figure out why. And once they had Chihiro's' handbook, they knew they had an easy way to dispose of it."**

"That is a good theory," Sakura agreed with, crossing her arms. "And it's probably what'd happened. But who could've done it?"

"Always come down to that question." Hiro sighed.

" **I won't say it's not possible, but….who would have done something like that?" Byakuya questioned. "I don't know of anyone who took their handbook into the sauna…."**

' _Wait a minute….'_ Makoto's eyes widen in realization before closing his eyes resignation. ' _Mondo. He's the only one we know of that brought their handbook into the sauna.'_ He also can see that Sayaka, Kyoko, Byakuya, and a few more of the others realized this as well, remembering the sauna match between Taka and Mondo.

" **...I might know someone who did." Makoto declared.**

" **Whoa, seriously?!" Hifumi exclaimed.**

"You know somebody that could've brought their handbook in the sauna?" Hina questioned in surprise.

Makoto nodded, his head bowed. "I do. My future self have seen it, first hand."

"Really? Who is it, then?" Jill questioned him with her usual energy.

" **I think the one who may have taken their handbook into the sauna was…." Makoto's eyes went directly towards Mondo. "Mondo….your handbook got broken in the sauna, didn't it?"**

" **Wh-Wh-What?!" Mondo recoiled in shock.**

"Th-The hell?!" Mondo exclaimed, looking shocked and angry.

"Why?!" Taka demanded. "Why do keep accusing him?!"

"Why do you keep thinking that Mondo killed me?!" Chihiro questioned tearfully.

Makoto winced at the looks on Taka's and Chihiro's face. "You can figure it out by yourselves." The luckster softly said. "After all, all of us here has seen it the evidence in my future self's eyes."

"Wh-What?" Chihiro stuttered, getting a bit pale.

"Remember the endurance contest Mondo and Taka had?" Kyoko told everyone. "If you can recall that moment, it will be clear why Mondo is the most likely candidate to have done this."

At the mention of their endurance, several more eyes widen in realization. "He left his clothes on during that." Leon realized. "And probably had his handbook in there."

"He did." Sayaka said with a solemn nod. "That's why he's the most likely candidate for it."

" **Why?! Why do you keep accusing him?!" Taka demanded.**

" **Mondo and Taka had an endurance contest in the sauna not too long ago, remember?" Makoto reminded everyone. "And for the contest, Mondo just so happened to keep his school uniform on. But little did he realize, he'd also left his handbook in one of his uniform pockets. And when it was all over, Mondo discovered that taking your handbook into the sauna could easily destroy it."**

Mondo let out a panicked growl at this.

' _No way….no fucking way….'_ Mondo denied in his mind. There's no way he could've done it! There's no way he could've killed Chihiro! What reason was there?

"H-Hold on! That just speculation!" Taka protested. "You need proof! Actual, solid proof!"

' _Taka….'_ Makoto thought with a grimace. He wish his future self is wrong. He really wish that he thinking things the wrong way. But someone killed Chihiro. And unfortunately, that someone seems to be Mondo.

" **Now, wait hold on….!" Taka protested. "You've got it all wrong! He would never kill-!" He then began getting frantic. "I don't accept this! Show me the proof! The actual, solid proof!"**

' _ **I mean…..I don't want to believe it either. But….'**_ **Makoto thought in his head.** ' _ **But I found something that proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt….'**_

"What? What proof?!" Taka exclaimed, becoming pale. "There isn't any proof!"

"Actually, there is." Byakuya responded, remembering 'Leon's' broken e-Handbook. "It's proof that would prove without a doubt that Mondo is the culprit."

 **The non-stop debate started up once again, with Kyoko speaking. "Let's test Makoto assertion." Kyoko began. "If what he says is correct, then Mondo….you broke your own handbook."**

" **In other words, if Mondo's handbook is actually broken…." Celeste mused. "Then that proves what Makoto said is right."**

" **Well my goddamn handbook works just fine!" Mondo told them.**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **The bullet was shot as Makoto spoke up. "Mondo, the handbook you have right now….is it really yours?" He asked him.**

" **...The fuck is that supposed to mean?!" Mondo exclaimed.**

" **The broken handbook that was in the main hall…." Makoto pointed out. "Isn't that one actually yours?"**

" **What the heck are you talking about?!" Taka questioned him.**

"How on earth would the one in the main hall be his?!" Taka continued for his future self. "The one he has is his!"

"Are you really sure about that?" Mukuro inquired. "I think Makoto is saying that he possibly switched them out."

"H-Huh?" Chihiro spoke up, his voice sounding weak.

" **What I mean is, I think Mondo swapped his handbook out for one that actually worked." Makoto explained. "I think he took Leon's handbook and replaced it with his own. After all, Monokuma said himself that Leon's handbook never should have broken."**

" **That's right! The punishment it suffered wasn't nearly enough to destroy it!" Monokuma confirmed.**

"So that means Mondo switching out his handbook for Leon's is the only option he had." Mukuro said with a tiny grimace. "How unfortunate."

"No kidding." Leon sighed, clenching his fist.

Taka and Chihiro looked more and more frantic, while Mondo looked down on his clenched fists and knees. "No fucking way….it can't be…." He muttered to himself.

" **So then, the broken handbook in the main hall is actually Mondo's." Celeste said. "Which would mean that the handbook Mondo has right now is actually Leon's, yes?"**

" **But doesn't that violate the school regulation that says loaning out your handbook is prohibited?" Hina pointed out.**

Byakuya facepalmed. "Did you honestly forget that I said you can borrow a dead person's handbook?"

"A-A lot of stuff is happening right now!" Hina said in her defense. Honestly, she's having a hard time believing that Mondo would kill Chihiro, of all people. It just doesn't seem possible. But the evidence is hard to argue with right now.

" **Well, here's how I look at it…." Monokuma spoke up. "There is a rule about loaning your handbooks to another student. But if they're dead, they're not a student! It's kind of a grey area, I admit, but no worries! If anything, it just makes things more interesting! As such, I decree that exchanging handbooks with a corpse is not a violation to the rules!"**

" **Well, Mondo? If I'm wrong about this, you're welcome to say so." Makoto said softly. "I'm happy to admit I made a mistake, but…."**

" **S-Son of a bitch….!" Mondo cursed.**

"H-Huh?" His future self's words cracked him out of his denial. What….what did he just said? Does those words mean….he admitted to killing Chihiro? ' _Now that I think about, all of Makoto's words makes sense.'_ Mondo thought to himself. ' _Makes so much goddamn sense….'_

"M-Mondo?" Chihiro spoke up, growing paler. "W-What's the matter?"

"Y-Yeah, bro, a-aren't you going to say he's wrong?" Taka asked him, panic clear in his voice. "Aren't you?"

"I…." He doesn't know what to say. Everything that pointed to him being the killer fit together perfectly. Even someone with a dense head such as himself was able to follow through the trial. But if he's going to accept that, he just wanted to know why?

" **What's wrong, bro? Come on, tell him he's wrong….!" Taka urged his friend. "You ARE wrong! You HAVE to be wrong….!" He then glared fiercely at Makoto. "Everything you just said is wrong! You made it all up!"**

" **Okay, then why don't we look back on this case one more time, from the beginning?" Makoto suggested. "That way, everything will be clear, and we'll all see if I was right or wrong!"**

' _The Closing Argument….'_ Celeste closed her eyes. ' _This makes it definite that Mondo is the culprit.'_ This may be only the second time they've seen it, but it's clear that it tells who the culprit is.

Several of the others realized this as well. The more reserved ones like Sakura and Kyoko closed her eyes in resignation, while others like Sayaka and Leon expressed sadness or frustration through their facial expressions.

Mondo himself closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he awaited the final explanation, while Taka and Chihiro felt their blood run colder. Consciously, they still refused to believe Mondo is the killer, but subconsciously, they knew what's about to come and what it means.

' _First Daiya, and now Chihiro..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Just... why?'_

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Another very long one. Maybe my longest, though I'm not sure. Next up, we'll be finishing up the trials. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier's End of Chapter random rant:  
** I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I picked up Fate:Grand Order on my phone recently and I'm very disappointed that the story isn't completely released yet ): I picked it up to play as a visual novel, not a gatcha game but here I am being forced to play it like one otherwise my party will fall behind haha. By the way, Konosuba! was a pretty funny anime. After finishing it, I immediately found myself reading the Light Novels so, I definitely recommend the Konosuba series :)


	40. Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair P16

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I tried to wrap up Chapter 2 in one chapter. Really, I tried. But I had to come a stopping point and finish the rest in the next chapter. Otherwise, this one would've been extremely long. There was a lot of content in the post trial, more than in Chapter 1. So, you'll be seeing them watch the remaining part of the trial, Mondo's and Chihiro's past, the former's reason for killing the latter, and then the execution. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Holy balls, this is the longest chapter to date in this entire fic, clocking in at just around 9.6K words (Minus the notes and questions here, and end of chapter notes and stuff). A lot was covered in here so I guess that's a bonus for everyone. The moment y'all have been waiting for! Enjoy! But first, the questions.**

 **Questions:**

 **Q: Will there be bonus scenes in here? (Peeping, Bad End, etc)  
L: Nope, sorry! This will fic will only be focused on the canon route of the game so outside of FTEs and main story, there won't be other scenes.  
S: Like Lucky said, no bonus scenes. Only focusing on canon route.**

 **Q: Will they speculate why Byakuya messed with the crime scene?  
L: What kind of question is this? Of course they will! Though I can't say his character is a forte of mine, thanks for the input on that matter! It really saves a lot of extrapolation on my end :) (As much as I don't really see Byakuya in a good light, I do acknowledge that he is a great character and that there's definitely more to him than how he appears.)  
**

 **Q: What is the point of this entire viewing? Junko gets her despair either way.  
L: That's a good question. True that Junko does win in either case, but one has 5 survivors while another prevents the entire game as a whole. Of course, by the end of the day, this entire thing is just another "what-if" story that we're now all way too invested into to stop now, and I can't speak about what hasn't happened yet because of spoilers. It's a good thing you asked this, I honestly haven't thought too much on this yet and now that you brought this up, I wouldn't let this go unanswered before the fic ends.  
**

Chapter 39: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 16

 **The scene changed to a dark screen, with the words 'Act 1' at the right side yet again. "First, let's take a look back to before the incident…." Makoto began. "Last night, Celeste saw Chihiro in the warehouse, correct? At the time, she was apparently stuffing something into a duffel bag." As he spoke, the closing argument scene showed Chihiro packing the tracksuit, and Celeste spotting her. "That something was a blue tracksuit. You can confirm this, right Celeste?"**

 **It then moved to Act 2, showing Chihiro stuffing the tracksuit fully inside before moving out and waving goodbye to Celeste. "With bag in hand, Chihiro headed out, even though it was officially nighttime. She made her way to the locker room, specifically, the boys locker room. But how could the victim, who was apparently a girl, access the boys locker room?" It then showed the locker room, as well as Chihiro using her handbook to access the boys' locker room before going in. "Simple. Because 'she' was really a he. Which is why he was able to use his own e-Handbook to gain entrance to the boys locker room."**

" **Once inside, he met with someone there. And the person he met was the one who killed him!" Act two then showed Chihiro meeting up with said person, then going into one of the lockers. As he did, the person picked up a dumbbell. "It seems likely that the killer grabbed the nearby dumbbell, approached the unsuspecting Chihiro…." It then switched to the killer approaching Chihiro, the boy turning around in shock, and blood sprayed everywhere. "And attacked him." A bit of the blood went onto the poster and mat. "And that's where the bloodstains on the poster and carpeting in the boys locker room came from."**

 **Next was dumbbell being dropped, the killer looking panicked, and Chihiro, dead on the ground.**

Chihiro felt himself shaking when his murder began playing out. When he saw the silhouette attacked his future self, the programmer flinched heavily, like he was the one struck. He looked away from the screen as it was rather morbid to look at his own dead body, the discomfort making him tear up.

The others are also having a difficult time seeing this. Tears began leaking from Sayaka and Hina, while anguish hit Taka's and Makoto's faces. Sakura closed her eyes and looked away, teeth clenched.

Mondo himself is shaking, in rage, confliction, and anguish. Rage at seeing Chihiro killed, but confliction and anguish at the the large possibility that it was him. ' _B-But….why would I kill Chihiro?'_ Mondo thought to himself. ' _Why would that thought even cross my mind?'_

" **It was likely in the heat of the moment. The body was arranged, but the murder itself felt unplanned." Act 3 then appeared, with the culprit rolling up the mat, along with pulling off the poster. "Which is why the killer hurried to try and hide the act. First, pulling up the bloodstained carpet, then removing the bloody poster….." It then showed the culprit pulling Chihiro's corpse onto their shoulder, along with the door to the girls locker room. "...and finally carrying the corpse into the girls locker room."**

" **A girl's handbook was necessary to get into the locker room, of course….but this alone doesn't prove that the killer was necessarily a girl." The next scene showed the culprit holding an e-Handbook before using it to enter in the locker room. "After all, Sayaka's and Junko's handbook handbooks had been placed in the main hall. Using one of the those, a boy could get into the girls locker room without much problem." Next it showed them placing the bloody poster onto the wall, then laying Chihiro down on the floor. "And that's exactly how the killer did it. With the carpet and the poster they'd brought with them, they got to work…."**

 **The next part was the culprit letting out a breath of exertion, as well as the switch of the crime scene. "They changed the layout of the boys and girls locker room, in what you might call….a crime** **scene switch! That could have been the end of things, but no…."**

 **Act 4 was then shown, with Byakuya looking into the girls locker room, a sinister smirk on his face. "Byakuya discovered the body and decided to….intervene in the situation, making things even more complicated." He then entered the room, with an extension cord in his hand. "So, after stumbling into the crime scene, he went and grabbed the extension cord from the library, and then he got to work."**

" **He used the cord to string up Chihiro's lifeless body." The climax argument showed Byakuya tying Chihiro's hands and neck. "Then, using the victim's own blood, he left a grisly message there at the scene of the crime." A picture of Byakuya gathering up some blood on his fingers was shown before using it to write the message. The picture of the fully altered crime scene was shown. "He wanted to create the illusion that Genocide Jack was responsible for the slaughter."**

The sight of Byakuya altering the crime scene and messing with Chihiro's body upset the entire class. Hina and Sayaka had angry scowls plastered on their faces, Mondo was shaking in rage, and the silence amongst the rest was more than enough to express their discontent. Chihiro felt himself shaking, a few whimpers coming out of him. Grief and nausea hit him as he curled up tighter.

Byakuya himself kept his head towards the TV, his face unexpressive. Inwardly, however, he's also feeling a bit of anger and disgust towards his future self. What has possessed him to do this? Why alter the crime scene and string up Chihiro's corpse? What is there to gain from that?

" **And around the same time that Byakuya was putting together this facade…." Act 5 began, with the killer entering the bath house. "...the killer, having already disposed of Chihiro's bag and other belongings, arrived at the sauna. There, they planned to destroy the last piece of evidence….Chihiro's handbook." The scene showed the killer throwing the handbooks into the sauna, watching it land before it shorted out. "And just as the killer expected, the steamy sauna was enough to ruin the electronic gadget. Somehow, the killer knew that the handbook couldn't stand up to the heat of the sauna. And the reason they knew that is because the sauna had already wrecked their own handbook! ….And that's how it all played out."**

 **The scene then switched to pictures of Makoto and the silhouette. A second later, the silhouette revealed itself to be Mondo. "Isn't that right, Mondo Owada?!"**

"And with that, all the contradictions have cleared up." Celeste sighed softly.

Kyoko turned to Mondo. "So Mondo, can you deny that you're the culprit?"

His response was a resigned look. "What the hell do you think?" The biker said gruffly. "You saw what happened. There's no way I can deny it."

"M-Mondo?" Chihiro spoke up, her eyes wide with horror and a wave of unshed tears.

"I'm sorry, Chihiro," Mondo said, refusing to look at him. "I don't want to believe that I killed you. But even I know when to give in." It was extremely frustrating. It wasn't him that killed Chihiro per se, but at the same time, he also couldn't deny that he did kill him. Had this all been for a speeding ticket, he could've accepted it. Had this been for disturbing the peace from his gang brawls, he could've accepted it. But for something he didn't know why it happened and yet it was a fact? Mondo didn't want to accept it, but he also couldn't reject it. What is he supposed to do?

"H-Hold on! Just wait a minute, bro!" Taka protested, his eyes swimming with anxiety and denial. "There's no proof! No actual, physical proof!"

"Bro, please…." ' _Don't make this harder on me than it already is...'_

But the moral compass wasn't listening. "Without proof, this is all just speculation! They can't pin any of this on you!"

"T-Taka right!" Chihiro quickly agreed, his voice sounding a bit strained. "If there's no proof, then he can't be the one that killed me!"

' _I'm sorry, Taka, Chihiro, but there is proof.'_ Makoto thought sadly, his expression downcast. ' _And the proof is in Mondo's pocket.'_

 **The scene switched back to the trial room. Mondo let out a resigned groan in response to Makoto's summary.**

" **W-Wait….! No, this can't be right!" Taka protested frantically. "Where's your evidence….? Y-Yeah, where's your evidence?!"**

Seeing how future Taka is acting, as well as how the present one and Chihiro is acting, caused some of the students' hearts to ache.

' _Dammit bro, just stop it.'_ Mondo thought, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes. ' _There's no use denying it now. Please, just, accept it.'_ But he knew that Taka wouldn't. Not until there's no way to deny it, or when future self finally admits it.

' _ **Evidence that Mondo is the killer….'**_ **As Makoto thought that, the camera angled closer to his face, his eyes closed.** ' _ **That already revealed itself earlier in the trial.'**_

 **The camera moved back to the frantic Taka. "You need evidence! You need proof!"**

 **It went back to Makoto.** ' _ **All I have to do is check that one item of his, and everything will become clear….'**_

 **And back to Taka. "Without any proof, you can't pin any of this on him!"**

 **Once more, it moved back to Makoto. This time, the luckster opened his eyes in resigned determination. "I do have evidence!"**

 **The camera froze to Taka's frantic expression, moving it closer in different angles until the image broke like glass. "W-What?" Taka froze at Makoto's statement.**

" **If my thinking so far is right…." Makoto continued. "Mondo must have replaced his broken handbook with Leon's. In which case, we can just check each of our handbooks right now. Once we do that, we'll-"**

" **We don't gotta do that." Mondo finally spoke, his voice soft.**

" **Huh?" Was Makoto's confused response.**

"What….?" Taka felt himself become white as a sheet a Mondo's word. "Bro….what are you….?"

' _No….it can't be….'_ Chihiro felt himself shaking once more, tears slowly coming out of his eyes. ' _Don't….please don't say it. Please….'_

" **Yeah. Yeah…." Mondo softly admitted. "I did it….I killed him."**

That what caused Chihiro to break. Grief, horror, and despair was displayed on his face and in his eyes, with waves of tears coming out. Hearing this, hearing Mondo's future self verbally admit to killing him….it shattered his denial.

His classmate, his friend, the person he admired the most….killed him. Mondo is the culprit that murdered him.

"Bro...what are you saying?" Taka asked, trying to wrap his head at what he heard. "Why would you say that?!"

"Because there's no use denying it." Mondo told him. "I'm the one who killed him. I….murdered Chihiro."

"No! It can't-"

"Think about it, bro!" Mondo stated, his eyes still closed. "Think back to everything you saw! If you just think about it, you know that you can't keep denying it!"

"I…." Reluctantly, Taka did so. Thought back to when he first got accused, the handbook conversation, the closing argument, and finally, Mondo's admittance. And as he thought about those things, horror and despair slowly entered his face. And soon, he had no choice but to admit….that Mondo is the blackened of the second trial.

" **Bro? Bro….what are you saying?" Taka gasped in shock.**

" **I got no choice, man. After hearing all that, I gotta just….give up." Mondo said, his voice gruff. "Go ahead, Monokuma. Get it over with….ask for the god damned verdict…."**

" **Roger that!" Monokuma replied back.**

' _Here it comes….'_ Makoto thought gravely. ' _Voting time….'_ He winced when he heard Chihiro beginning to let out sobs.

" **W-Wait, hold on-!" Taka protested.**

" **No waiting! No holding on!" Monokuma stated in response. "Time for the moment we've all been waiting for! Grab your lever and give it a yank! Who will you elect as the blackened this time around? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna beeee?!"**

Dread began filling everyone's heart, knowing what will come next. ' _I hate this….'_ Hina thought, the tears stinging her eyes.

' _I'm loving this!'_ Junko thought giddily. This is better than the last trial!

 **After his question, the scene switched to the slot machine once again. The slot machine then began rolling before slowly stopping on Mondo. And once again, the lights flashed, cheers came out, and coins flew out of the machine.**

 **The scene went back to the students, who got off their podiums and gathered around each other. "Uh-oh….this time it looks like….you got it right again!" Monokuma told everyone. "Yes, it is so. The blackened that killed Chihiro Fujisaki was….Mondo Owaaadaaaa!"**

Once again, that statement hit nearly everyone hard. Harder than last time even. Where the first trial was at point that their future selves barely knew each other….this case was where a friend murdered another friend. A wave of cold depression and horror hammered everyone's spirits to the ground.

Chihiro's sobbed even louder, burying his face into his knees. Taka, meanwhile, was shell-shocked, his mind temporarily broke from all the news he had received.

And Mondo himself? He was silent, with any heat and anger he had in him snuffed out. What was left was remorse, guilt, and resignation. "So that's it then." He said softly, mainly to himself. "I'm the goddamned blackened this time."

"Why….?" Taka asked numbly. Slowly, his voice got more frantic. "Why….why would he kill Chihiro?!"

"I... don't know." Mondo admitted softly. But he have a few good guesses.

 **Mondo was silent at that, his head cast down. "In case you're wondering, the vote was NOT unanimous. Kiyotaka chose the wrooong answer!" Monokuma informed them. "You're treading very close to the danger zone, Mr. Ishimaru! You need to be more careful!"**

Mondo gritted his teeth. Even with all the evidence, even with his own admittance….his bro was still adamant that he would never do something like that. That hurts, knowing he failed his best friend. No, he failed everyone by breaking their trust.

" **I-I refuse to believe it…." Taka mumbled, shell-shocked and pale. "There's no way….no way he would kill someone!"**

" **Sorry…." Was what all Mondo could say.**

" **Wh-Why are you apologizing?!" Taka demanded. "Why?! Why, why, why, why, why?! WHYYY?! Wh….why?" And finally, Taka broke down from his denial. "Why did you do it?!" Once again, Mondo was silent, his eyes away from everyone.**

"Being silent, are we?" Celeste pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "Not willing to share what caused you to kill?"

"Telling people why you killed somebody ain't exactly the easiest thing, you know. And it's not like I know either..." Mondo shot back, though no bite was in his words.

" **Well, it looks like Mondo's taken a vow of silence, so allow me to explain on his behalf…." Monokuma spoke up. "The story of the murder this time….is the story of two men."**

 **As he began telling the story, the screen faded black. "Anyway, there was once a young boy…." The bear began. "And his name was Chihiro Fujisaki." An image of Chihiro then appeared. "He had an extreme inferiority complex regarding his own lack of strength."**

" **You're so weak, even though you're a boy!" An image of a younger Chihiro was shown next. "He heard things like that as long as he could remember, and he couldn't overcome his weaknesses."**

Monokuma's story caused Chihiro's eyes to widen shock, and for his head to shot up, revealing his tear stained face. He flinched when he heard the last part, remembering all the times he has been called weak as a child.

" **On the contrary, he tried to hide and buried himself further and further into that weakness…." The next scene was Chihiro dressing up as a girl for the first time. "...to take on the form of a petite young girl. He had chosen that as his way out."**

" **Now nobody will be able to say anything about 'even though you're a boy'..." Chihiro murmured to himself.**

The reveal of why Chihiro dressed as a girl shocked and upsetted the group. "Chihiro…." Sayaka called out softly to the programmer. "Is this true? That's why you…."

Chihiro nodded, keeping his eyes away from everyone. "It hurts…." Chihiro croaked quietly. "Hurts when people say that I'm weak. That even though I'm a guy, I'm not at all strong." The insults and cruel words hurt even more than actual pain.

"Chihiro…." Hina bit her lips at this, very upset that her friend had to go through that. That he had to become something he isn't in order to escape it. Beside her, Sakura looked down, anger boiling in her eyes. Her desire to find and punish those who verbally assaulted Chihiro was strong.

Leon also felt that same desire. He scowled and clenched his fist tightly, wishing he could beat the crap out of those guys.

" **But no matter how tightly he wrapped himself up in that shell…." Monokuma continued. "...the inferiority complex had already taken root deep inside of him, and was not so easily weeded out." A scene of a depressed Chihiro was shown. "As it turned out, the shell was completely empty. Instead, it only grew stronger and stronger."**

" **I'm….weak…." Chihiro muttered depressingly. "Weak, weak, weak, weak, weak, weak, weak, weak….!"**

Several of them felt their heart clench at this. How long was Chihiro was suffering like that? How long did he felt this way, felt so….depressed?

Makoto looked down, a deep, sorrowful frown on his face. He's glad he, Mondo, and Leon was able to help Chihiro, somewhat. But he knew that Chihiro still has that inferiority complex about him. And he can't help but feel a bit useless, knowing that his programmer friend is suffering like that.

 **A flashback where the entire class first met was shown next. "Once the killing game had begun here at the school, he had no choice but to accept this fact." The bear stated. "After all, this world is survival of the fittest. If you're not strong, you don't survive." The next flashback was Monokuma holding everyone's embarrassing secrets. "And then the lovely and hateful Monokuma announced the revealing of the embarrassing secrets. Which, of course, included Chihiro's embarrassing secret, which I was more than willing to divulge…."**

 **A scene of Chihiro looking at his secret was shown, the letter saying, "Even though he dresses like a girl, Chihiro is actually a boy."**

Predictably, Monokuma's words angered the group. "That fucking bear…." Leon growled, clenching his teeth. "He acts way too gleeful about revealing that!"

"Does the word 'personal privacy' mean anything to that psycho?" Hina angrily protested.

"Not if it get someone killing somebody." Celeste sighed.

" **And that was something Chihiro couldn't let anyone find out, no matter the cost." Monokuma declared. "If that was revealed, it would be the end. The hardened shell would crack, the armor would fall away. Without a doubt, those around him would torture him more than ever before. Everyone figured being thrust into such a dilemma must have sent him spiraling into despair."**

" **And yet….!" A flashback of Chihiro saying that he doesn't want to reveal it yet, but wanted to reveal it later when he's stronger was shown. "Annoyingly, he used the threat of discovery to motivate himself to become stronger!"**

 **A scene of a determine looking Chihiro was the next thing to be shown. "Now's my chance…." Chihiro said to himself. "I'm going to get stronger….and accept who I am….strong enough so that when someone says 'even though you're a boy' I'll be okay. I'll get better!"**

That caused Chihiro's eyes to widen once again, shock filling his veins. Did he….hear that correctly? Was his future self….using the threat as motivation to become stronger?

The others were surprised by this as well. "Wow." Leon whistled. "Guess that explains why Chihiro wasn't breaking down at the reveal of our motives."

"Guess so." Junko remarked, also shocked by this. Inwardly, she is also incredibly annoyed! Chihiro wasn't supposed to be motivated by this! He was suppose to be breaking down! Instead of her motive bringing him despair, it brought him hope! It angered her that her plan had technically back-fired against her.

As the surprise wore off, a small smile entered Makoto's lips. "Instead of breaking down and letting despair take him, he used this as motivation. As a way to become stronger and more accepting of himself."

"It shows that Chihiro does indeed have courage inside him." Sakura said softly.

Chihiro stared at the TV. Does….he really have that kind of courage? Could he really be that brave?

" **With that thought at the front of his mind, he resolved to take immediate action." Monokuma said. "And so…" A flashback of Chihiro and Celeste in the warehouse was shown. "That day, he made the commitment to begin exercising. He was prepared to train his mind and body. But sadly….that would be the first and last chance he would get at it!"**

 **The TV finally reverted back to the courtroom. "When he'd decided to start exercising, he thought it would be good to ask for someone's help. But he wanted to tell that person his secret first, and then ask them to help him from there. And the person he went to…."**

"Was Mondo." Kyoko concluded with a small grimace.

The biker, who was up quiet throughout the small story, clenched his teeth. ' _And I ended up killing him in response.'_ Mondo thought to himself. ' _He trusted me, and I spat on that trust!'_

" **It was me….!" Mondo stated bluntly.**

" **Yup, it sure was!" The bear said gleefully. "The biker gang fella had been painfully clear about how important his mainly promise were. So Chihiro probably figured that even if he confided in Mondo, his honor would make him make him keep the secret."**

 **Mondo was silent to this. "Plus, Mr. Macho Mondo was the very symbol of a strong man that Chihiro had always aspired to." The bear added.**

 **The scene switched to a flashback of Chihiro in his room. "Maybe talking to Mondo about it will help give me some courage…."**

"So that's where it all began, huh?" Junko commented on. "When Makoto made that suggestion to Chihiro…."

"Junko!" Sayaka exclaimed, glaring at the fashionista. "Are you saying that it's Makoto fault?"

"Hey, that's not what I meant!" Junko said, holding her hands up in a surrender motion and feigning a defensive tone. "I'm just saying that how it started! I mean, we all saw that Chihiro didn't think about Mondo until our little luckster brought up the idea."

Makoto looked down, guilt entering his mind. ' _I was the one who suggested it….'_ He thought to himself. ' _Maybe if I hadn't, Chihiro would be….'_

"Chihiro would've eventually come to that conclusion anyway, regardless of what Makoto said." Kyoko said, drawing the luckster out of his thoughts. "It couldn't be helped."

"And it was my choice." Chihiro spoke up softly. "So please, don't blame Makoto for what I decided to do."

"Alright, alright. Sorry." The fashionista mentally giggled. Her little comment should have nourished that seed of guilt in his mind. Oh boy, this was fun!

Sayaka, meanwhile, grabbed Makoto's hand, gaining his attention. "It's not your fault." Sayaka whispered. "You wouldn't have known that Mondo would do something like that. So please, don't blame yourself."

Makoto, after a moment, nodded in response and squeeze her hand back. Still, he can't but feel partly responsible for what had happened.

' _But still...'_

" **So he went and asked Mondo to help him become strong!" Once again, the camera switched back to the trial room. "That was his aspiration…." Monokuma sighed in mock sadness. "And he thought that only with Mondo's support would he able to come close to that."**

" **So then, that must be why Mondo did what he did - to keep the promise he'd made to Chihiro." Kyoko realized.**

It quickly clicked in Makoto's mind what Kyoko meant. "You're talking about why Mondo carried Chihiro's body into the girls locker room, right?"

Kyoko nodded. "Yes, that's most likely what I meant."

"That makes sense." Leon said softly. "Mondo would do his damn best to keep his promises." The biker himself didn't say anything.

"But….what makes you think it wasn't a way to cover up his crime?" Hifumi inquired.

"It's probably part of the reason," Makoto corrected. "But the main reason is to keep his promise. After all, a couple of us would've questioned Chihiro's true gender if he was found in the boys locker room."

"Especially when all the other possibilities isn't feasible." Kyoko added.

Confusion and distressed enter Chihiro's whirlwind of emotions. He doesn't doubt that Mondo would do this….but it doesn't explain why he would kill him. Why?!

" **Huh? Did what he did?" Makoto asked in confusion. Then his eyes lit up in realization. "You mean….? That's why Mondo carried Chihiro from the boys locker room into the girls locker room?"**

" **Yes, that's exactly what I mean." Kyoko confirmed.**

" **Wasn't that to cover up what he'd done?" Hifumi asked.**

" **That could have been part of it, but I don't think it was the main reason." Kyoko said. "The real purpose was to keep his promise between men he'd made to Chihiro."**

" **But….how does moving the body keep his secret?" Hina asked, confuse.**

" **Because if everyone knew he'd been killed in the boys locker room, then everyone would have been arguing about how 'she' got into the boys locker room, right?" Kyoko explained. "Once that started up, at least a few of us would have immediately begun to suspect his identity. So he tried to protect Chihiro's secret by putting him in the girls locker room and stealing his handbook. See?"**

" **Then….Mondo did all that to keep the promise he'd made to Chihiro….who he'd also killed?" Makoto questioned, trying to his head around that.**

"That is very a very big contradiction." Celeste stated. "Honoring someone's secret, yet ended up killing them."

Distress and confusion was evident in Taka's eyes and face, as well as Chihiro's. "The more I hear, the less I understand…." Taka exclaimed, holding his head. "Why would bro do this?! He and Chihiro are friends!"

"That answer will most likely come soon." Sakura sighed.

 **Again, Mondo was silent to this. "Why….would he….do that?" Taka asked once again, frustration and confusion evident in his voice. "The more I hear you talk, the more I don't understand! I mean, you guys trusted each other, right?! So why? Why did you….?"**

 **Finally, Mondo spoke. "Because….no matter what, I didn't want anyone to know…."**

What the future Mondo said triggered the present one. He clenched his teeth at his words. ' _So I was right after all.'_ Mondo thought with gritted teeth. ' _It's so I could keep that a secret. Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why am I so simple minded?'_

' _So the motive was the trigger after all.'_ Kyoko thought, her eyes closed. ' _I thought as much.'_

" **So that's what triggered it, after all." Kyoko sighed. "The possibility of having your embarrassing memories and secrets exposed…."**

Several eyes widen at this. "Bro…." Taka turned to his best friend. "Was the secret so bad that you had to kill somebody for it?! It couldn't be!"

"How many times do I have to say it?" Byakuya sighed in annoyance. "You cannot judge someone else's values based on your own outlook. It was clear that he thought differently."

"I hate to say this, but Byakuya's right." Sayaka said, biting her lips. "There are secrets that people will do anything to keep." Being in the music industry taught her that all too well.

" **Th-That's impossible! Nothing could have been that bad!" Taka refuted. "Something he didn't want anyone to know, even if it meant killing someone….? It's impossible!"**

" **How many times must I repeat myself?" Byakuya sighed in annoyance. "To judge others by your own standard is the height of folly. Even if you can't comprehend it, he obviously can. That's all there is to it."**

"But….Mondo, what is that secret?" Hina asked him, turning to the biker. "What is so bad that you have to kill Chihiro for it?" The gang leader stayed silent to that, unwilling to reveal that.

Chihiro turned to the biker as well, wanting to know the answer to that question as well. What secret did he have that would cause him to kill? What….what would cause Mondo to kill him?

" **Well, while we're on the subject….why don't I tell you?" Monokuma offered. "That embarrassing memory, that secret he didn't want anyone to know….you know what Mondo did? He killed his own brother!" Mondo made a choking noise at the reveal of his secret.**

Now THAT completely shocked the group. Eyes were popped wide open, jaws were hanging from their mouths, shock and disbelief had quickly filled the air around them.

"Whaaaaaat?!" Hifumi screamed in shock.

"He….killed his brother?!" Hina exclaimed, trying to process that information.

Both Chihiro and Taka turned to their biker, whose head is bowed and his body shaking. "Mondo….is this true?" Taka asked, his voice small. The biker remained quiet to this, shame completely pinning him down.

' _Ooooh, this has gotten much more interesting!'_ Junko thought eagerly. Not that it wasn't interesting before, but this new information even more interesting.

 **The scene switched to Mondo riding on his bike, with several other gangsters behind and following him. "Mondo, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, makes all the hoodlums and riff-raff across the country tremble…." Monokuma began narrating once again. "But the only reason he had the chance to join a gang in the first place was because of a certain someone."**

 **The next scene shown was of Mondo's older brother, Daiya, driving a motorcycle. "Mondo's older brother name was Daiya Owada. Mondo had nothing but respect for him. It was because of Daiya that Mondo ever got on a bicycle." The scene widen to show Mondo looking at his older brother. "Mondo's brother was his only family growing up. He was the only one Mondo could trust, and respect. He wanted to measure up to his big brother, so he imitated him in everything he did. Mondo was the epitome of the starry-eyed kid brother."**

This wasn't new information for the group. They all knew that Mondo had loved and admired his older brother, and was a 'starry-eyed kid brother', as Monokuma put it. But with this information, they had to ask….could Mondo really have killed his brother?

' _Something must've happened that caused Daiya's death.'_ Makoto thought to himself. ' _Something that Mondo blame himself for.'_

" **Meanwhile, the charismatic older brother had put together a local motorcycle gang….." Monokuma continued. "...and before anyone knew it, it had grown into the biggest biker gang in the country. Daiya, the older brother, number one in the gang. And his number two, his younger brother, Mondo. In the beginning, everything was peach and gravy.**

" **But when Mondo started to think about how he would have to take over the gang from his brother someday….his brother's greatness, his reputation, began to gnaw on Mondo's very soul!" The scene switched Mondo being surrounded by silhouettes of other bikers, whispering around him. "Almost every day, Mondo heard the gossip and whispers of the other members of the gang. Which is why…."**

 **The camera moved to the side of Mondo's face, showing frustration and desperation. "I gotta get stronger….stronger than Daiya." He said to himself. "Once….just one time….no matter what, I gotta win….I don't care what it takes, I gotta come out on top!"**

As they watched, a sinking feeling was felt by some of them. They just knew something bad was about to happen.

Mondo, meanwhile, clenched his fist and teeth, tears swelling up in his eyes. He knew what's going to come next. A crime he considered the ultimate betrayal to himself. No amount of reparation would be able to absolve him from his crime.

" **And on the night of his amazing brother's retirement ceremony, Mondo challenged him to a street race!" The next scene was switched to Mondo racing his brother. "But during the race, tragedy struck. The kid brother pushed ahead with reckless abandon, eager for victory, and dashed into incoming traffic." As the bear narrated, the TV displayed Mondo pushing ahead and ending up right in front of an incoming truck.**

" **But suddenly….!" Out of nowhere, Daiya pushed Mondo off the road, with the truck still driving in full speed. Right as the truck was about to hit the older brother, everything turned white as the sound of crashing entered the speakers. The white screen faded to show a crying Mondo holding his dying brother.**

The sight of what had happened, along with Mondo holding his older brother and crying, filled with the room heartache. "So that's what happened…." Makoto said quietly, closing his eyes in respect for Daiya. "Daiya saved Mondo's life….at the cost of his own."

"He sacrificed himself to save his younger brother." Sakura stated, also closing her eyes in respect for Daiya.

The sight of his brother saving him, him dying while he was crying his eyes out, causing tears to slowly fall from his eyes. "Damn it…." He cursed, his voice strained. Why? Why did his brother save him from his own, stupid mistake? Why did he have to do that?

"Mondo…." Both Taka and Chihiro felt themselves crying for their biker friend. They could see how much grief he has over this. How much guilt he's carrying.

" **Laying in his kid brother's arms, the older brother delivered his final words…."**

" **M-My bad kid….I fucked up, sorry." Daiya said weakly. "Hey, kid….the rest is up to you. No matter what, you gotta keep the gang together. Cuz it's the team….you and me put together. It's….a pr….a promise….between men…."**

Several of them felt their heart ache for Mondo, especially those with siblings. Makoto, Hina, and Hifumi couldn't help but think about their siblings, wondering how they would feel if they saw them die. It wasn't something they wanted to think on long. Leon thought about his cousin, the closest thing he had to a sister (Despite her crush on him). Like the others, he didn't think on the thought of her dead long.

Mukuro herself also thought about how she would feel if Junko would've ever died. And surprisingly, despite what Junko did to her future self, and what the present Junko said to her, the thought of her dying made her heart clench in pain. Despite what she knows, what Junko thinks about her, she still cared for her twin sister. It was a maternal like feeling from sister to sister that she could never cover up, one of the few traits that reminded her that she was human underneath.

 **That screen then went black. "He decided to hide the truth of what happened from everyone else in the gang." The bear continued. "In order to keep the gang together, and keep his promise to his brother….he could never admit to anyone that it was his own weakness that had caused the accident! And as a result…." The screen then went back to Mondo riding in front of his gang. "...the team was made even stronger, under the banner of the kid who'd bested his big brother. 'Daiya was gonna lose to his kid brother, so he got stupid and got himself killed.' That became the explanation for what happened. Mondo's lie became the truth."**

 **The TV switched to Mondo alone, various emotions etched onto his face. "He wanted to lead the team so bad, he was willing to tell all kinds of lies about his brother!"**

" **I'm….strong…." Mondo said to himself. "Strong, strong, strong, strong, strong, strong….!"**

"So where one is convinced that he's weak," Mukuro said quietly. "The other tries to convince himself that he's strong." ' _I suppose this is what people call pity...'_ She thought to herself.

"That sounds about right." Junko agreed. " _Hoo boy, this is so pitiful I could laugh at this for hours!"_

" **And yet…." The next scene was the gathering of students, once again. "As soon as our killing game, he realized….no matter how tough he pretended to be, he was just another weakling that could die in an instant."**

 **Next was Monokuma handing the remaining students their secrets. "And then the lovely, the hateful Monokuma announced the revealing of the embarrassing secrets. At this point, it was clear I would have no problem shedding light on his secret…." Mondo looked at his secret with obvious distress. "Mondo killed his own older brother."**

 **Finally, it was back to the trial room once again. "N-No matter what….I couldn't let the other gang members find out." Mondo said, his eyes closed shut. "If that happened, everything would have been ruined….everything me and my brother had worked to create….woulda been destroyed. His death….all the guilt I'd been carrying around….it all woulda been for nothing. So that's why…." His eyes then shot open, with guilt and self-loathing filling them. "That's why I…I…!"**

" **Mondo…." Makoto spoke softly.**

 **Mondo, after controlling his emotions somewhat, began explaining some more. "After I saw what Monokuma had on me, my head filled up with a kind of uneasiness, and just started swirlin' around. I'd never felt anything like it before…" He explained to them. "I…I didn't know what to do about it. I wasn't sure what to think or say. But after a while, that fuzzy uneasiness…turned itself into a rock-hard lump of anxiety, way down in my stomach…! And it was right around then…that Chihiro asked me to start working out with him. And right there, I…he told me the secret."**

Everyone stiffened when they saw the TV transitioning to a flashback. "Oh no…are they going to show…" Hina covered her mouth, anguish clear in her voice.

"Are we going to actually see what happened?!" Hiro shouted, holding his porcupine head.

Mondo, Taka, and Chihiro especially went rigid, none of them wanting to see what transpired. But, despite their wished, the scene played.

" **Seriously? Jesus…." Mondo gasped in shock.**

" **Y-Yeah….I'm sorry I lied to you." Chihiro said guiltily.**

" **But….why?" The biker questioned. "Why now? Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?"**

" **...Huh?" Was Chihiro's confused response.**

" **Cuz I mean…you've kept that secret all this time, right?" Mondo pointed out. "If anyone found out…you would…"**

" **Y-You're right, but…" A look of pure determination entered the boy's face. "I want to change. I wrapped myself in lies. I'm weak. I want to destroy that version of me forever!"**

Chihiro's words, along with the determination in his voice and looks, startled everyone. Even Junko, who expected Chihiro to say something like that, did not expect the sheer determination in the boy's face. She immediately covered her mouth with a hand to stop herself from speaking up. Even though things may have gone as planned, there's no way that was supposed to be in the script. ' _I may need to recalculate some things...'_ She thought to herself.

"Wow, Chihiro." Leon said in awe. "That was quite a statement."

"Yeah." Hina agreed. "I don't think I could do the same."

"Agreed. You're showing remarkable bravery and strength here." Sakura said, approval clear in her tone.

Chihiro looked at his future counterpart in awe. Could he really be that brave? Could he….really be that strong?

Mondo smiled bitterly at this. He've only seen it a couple of times, but he recognizes that inner strength Chihiro has. The courage that he both admired and envied.

" _ **His words were like a knife in the gut…."**_ **Mondo told them as the camera moved to the shock looking biker.** " _ **I felt like he was exposing the lie I'd been living myself."**_

" **I have to change. I don't want to be weak anymore." Chihiro then smiled at him. "You're so strong, it can't hurt you, right? Whatever secret Monokuma might tell us…"**

Chihiro's words caused their hearts to sink a little. "Shit…" Leon cursed. "Chihiro couldn't have been more wrong."

"Now I see what happened." Kyoko said, now understanding the full situation. It was anxiety, mixed with jealousy, that caused Mondo to make a rash decision.

Chihiro felt stupid. How could he assume that the secret wouldn't bother him? That it had no effect on him? And now, because of his assumption, he's going to pay the price.

 **Mondo was silent at first. Then, he spoke lowly. "So, what? You're saying I should just say it?" He then glared at Chihiro. "You're saying if I really am strong, I should just be able to tell everyone my secret?"**

" **Huh….?" Chihiro said, startled by his words.**

" _ **I was….jealous. I was jealous of Chihiro's strength."**_ **Mondo explained.** " _ **He had the strength to face his own weakness, to try and overcome it…! It was the kind of strength I've never had…so I was jealous of him. And that jealousy…broke me."**_

" **Are you making fun of me?" Mondo growled. "I'm strong? Are you fucking with me right now?"**

 **His reaction is now scaring Chihiro. "I-I'm not making fun of you. You really are strong, Mondo…"**

" _ **I felt like I could hear something starting to…creak." The biker described. "Something…inside my head."**_

" **What did he want me to do?" Mondo exclaimed. "What was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to just sit back, let my secret get revealed, and ruin everything…?"**

" **Wh…What's wrong?" Chihiro asked nervously.**

" **Why did you have to tell me all that? Are you trying to rub my failure in my face?" Mondo demanded.**

" **N-No, I just…really admire you." Chihiro told him, taking a few steps back. "I admire…your strength…"**

 **The biker look down at that. "That's right…I am strong…strong…I'm strong!" A dumbbell then entered his sight.** ' _ **Strong, strong, strong, strong, strong, strong!'**_ " **Stronger than you!"**

 **The biker then picked up the dumbbell. "And stronger than Daaaaiiiyaaaaa!" And with that roar, he attacked Chihiro. And the screen went black after.**

The flashback…it was difficult for everyone to watch. Mondo's narration of his thoughts, his and Chihiro's interaction, Mondo rising anger…all to the point where he kills Chihiro. It was all so difficult to watch. A miserable feeling entered the room as the entire class helplessly watched the scene unfold.

Tears were streaming from Hina's and Sayaka's eyes. Hifumi and Hiro kept their eyes away from the biker in fear. Sakura growled to herself, her eyes closed. And the more stoic ones bitterly soldiered on.

Makoto eyes were wide with horror and anguish. Seeing another close friend die, seeing exactly how it went down…he doesn't know how to describe it. How many more does he have to see this? How many times does he have to see his friends turn on each other?

Taka was shaking, his eyes wide with disbelief. He wanted to refute that this was real. That Mondo would actually do something. He wanted to think that there was something in there that doesn't make any sort of sense. But in the end…it all does. From the motive to his friend's reaction, it all make so much sense.

Chihiro, meanwhile, felt himself curled himself into a ball once again. His eyes were wide with anxiety and anguish as it all played down. Seeing Mondo attacking him caused his mind to shut down once again, a wave of fresh tears leaving his eyes. There was no sign of the courage he just saw on the screen.

And Mondo himself felt various emotions. Shame, guilt, self-loathing, and more. He killed Chihiro, of all people, because he was jealous. Because he couldn't bear having his secret reveal. Because he couldn't control his damn temper. Because he's so god-damn _weak_! It frustrated him to no end, having broken his bond of trust over such a trivial issue.

" **I don't remember anything after that…" The screen then went back to the trial room. "When I woke up again, he was laying at my feet…covered in blood. I had the dumbbell in my hand…and I was just staring at him…down on the ground…" Mondo then went silent for a moment.**

" **H-Hey…." Taka spoke up weakly, urging him to continue.**

" **I…killed him." Mondo stated, guilt laced in his voice. "I killed Chihiro. Even after all this time, I'm still just as weak as I've always been! And thanks to that, I did something I can never take back…!"**

His tone, the look in his eyes…they can all tell that Mondo really felt guilty about what he did. That he never intended to kill Chihiro, which made it a whole lot worse.

' _Ooooh, all this despair is filling up this room!'_ Junko thought as her eyes scanned the room. ' _Mondo, the one Chihiro's admires most, kills him out of anger and jealousy! And then Byakuya makes it more exciting by altering the crime scene! I wonder how they are going to deal with him... Aaaaahhhh!'_.

' _ **Mondo…'**_ **Makoto thought as he stared at the guilty gang leader.** ' _ **He was normally so aggressive, so angry…he hid that weak side from everyone. That was his secret. A weakness like that lived in a heart like this…and it turned him cold-blooded…'**_ **Makoto closed his eyes and gritted his teeth at this.** ' _ **Godammit!'**_

 **Everyone thoughts was halted when Monokuma began laughing. "Look at him! You see? You're all just like him!" The bear accused. "For a secret from the past, for a memory…for that, he killed anothing living human in cold blood! He couldn't cut free of his regrets from the outside world. He doesn't know what true strength is. Do you see hope anywhere in there?! Cuz I sure don't!"**

His words pissed off several of the students. "That son of a bitch!" Leon growled. "How about he come and say that to our faces!"

"He's the one who caused all this! The one who trapped us here, and give us those damn motives!" Makoto exclaimed in anger. What right does he have to say all that when he the one who caused it all?!"

"None. He has no right." Sakura said, an fierce look on her face. While he doesn't condone Mondo's action, she can see that Mondo feels guilty for it. Monokuma doesn't have any right of him killing in cold-blood.

Taka tear-filled eyes glared angrily at the mechanical bear. That….son of a bitch! How dare he accuse Mondo of killing in cold-blood? Does he think they missed the guilt in his tone? The remorse?

" **You…bastard!" Taka cried out angrily. "Just shut up, you son of a bitch! Go ahead, say that again, I dare you!"**

Everyone was then suddenly shocked by Taka's outburst. They looked over to the moral compass, seeing him just as ready to make an outburst of his own. His fingers dug into the armrests of his chair, and his knuckles were white from putting so much strength into doing so. Sayaka wanted to say something, but Kyoko stopped her, nodding over to his current volatile state.

' _This isn't going to end well...'_ Makoto thought as he noticed everyone's worried eyes.

" **Okay! I'll say it as many times as I want! …is what I want to say, but…" An sadistic gleam entered it's eyes. "...unfortunately, I can't do that right now! Because the time for punishing is fast approaching!"**

Monokuma's statement caused everyone's blood to run cold. "Oh crap…the execution!" Hifumi blurted out in horror, no longer able to hold it in.

Monokuma's statement brought Chihiro out of his blank state. But it was quickly replaced with anguish and horror. "No…" Chihiro muttered, shaking in his curled up state. ' _Don't, please! Don't kill Mondo!'_

 **That caused blood to run cold. "P-Punishment…?" Makoto shakily repeated.**

" **You mean…execution…?!" Taka shouted in horror.**

" **That's what I promised you, right?" Monokuma reminded him. "The blackened that disturbs the peace will be punished."**

Taka was feeling the same sentiment as Chihiro. He's white as a sheet, his fist clenched tightly over his knees. ' _No! They can't do this!'_ His mind protested. They can't execute his best friend!

Mondo, however, was staring at the screen despondently. Waiting for the execution. ' _This is what I get.'_ Mondo thought to himself. ' _This is what I deserve.'_

" **H-Hold on!" Taka protested.**

" **Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for Mondo Owada, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader!" Monokuma announced, ignoring the moral compass.**

" **N-No, wait! Wait!" Taka continued protesting desperately.**

 **But his protest fell on deaf ears. "Let's give it everything we've got! It's…PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"**

" **I SAID WAAAAAIIIITT!" Taka shouted out.**

 **Through all this, Mondo was depressingly silent. But finally, he spoke his final words. "Sorry man. I couldn't keep the promise we made…from one man to another…" Monokuma then pulled out his gavel and slammed it onto the big red button in front of him.**

 ***GAME OVER. MONDO OWADA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. COMMENCING EXECUTION.* As those words appeared, a pixelated Monokuma dragged a pixelated Mondo before the screen turned black.**

As everyone was tense, pale, and/or shaking in fear as to what's about happened, brown bags suddenly appeared in front of everyone. That caused some of them to look at Spirit in confusion.

His response was this. "Don't ask. Just know you're going to need those. Oh, and just in case…" With the snap of his finger, the tables in the room were instantly cleared of all the food and drinks that were there in the morning. "I doubt you will want to see any of this." That did not made any of them feel better about this.

 **The screen slowly lit back up to show a spinning, black and white spiral. The spiral slowed down, and when it finally stopped, Mondo and Monokuma appeared on it. Both on a motorcycle, with the former tied up on the bike and latter at the front, ready to drive.**

 **Camera moved to show Mondo tensed, but ready, and Monokuma with a wig similar to Mondo's hair. The screen then showed what they were facing, which was a cage sphere and a circus area around it. When the camera got in front of it, the cage slowly opened up.**

 **THE CAGE OF DEATH**

 **Monokuma began revving up the motorcycle, and once it was revved up, he began driving towards the cage. Once they were close enough, Monokuma quickly jumped off using the eject button. A second later, Mondo entered the cage, with the biker riding the bike all around it. As that was happening, Monokuma was dancing around, playing with a hool-a-hoop.**

 **One moment later, four electric generators that were on top of the round cage activated, and enveloped the cage with electric volts. Mondo, who was getting dizzy from the spins, gets electrocuted. As the cage gets surrounded with more and more volts, Monokuma danced around, having the time of life. Finally, after gathering a lot of volts, the electricity exploded into a burst of light.**

 **When the lights faded, it revealed a tired looking Monokuma, with the bike still spinning in the background. As the bike finally slowed down and stopped spinning, the camera moved towards the cage, revealing that Mondo disappeared. A nearby machine, which is connected to the cage, gave out three beeps before opening up. Inside was a tub of what appeared to be butter, with a photo of Mondo on it and the labelled "Mondo Butter". The picture was then switched to childlike drawing of Monokuma, sitting at a table in the outdoors, enjoying two large stacks of pancakes topped with melted butter.**

At first, the group was confused to what happened in the end. But horror and nausea was set in place as they slowly realized what had happened.

"Did…did he just…" Hiro stuttered, unable to finish what he's thinking.

"...Melt into butter?!" Junko asked in 'disbelief'. Then, to mess with their minds more, she pointed out the next thing. "And the bear's _eating_ it?!"

That was the last straw for some of the Ultimates. Immediately, Hiro and Hifumi took their bags and begin throwing up their breakfast. Hina joined them soon after, with Sakura rubbed her back to soothe her, while also looking extremely displeased herself.

Makoto, Sayaka, and Leon looked extremely green, but managed to hold in what they ate. Still, what they saw horrified them. Byakuya, Kyoko, and Celeste also looked ill at what they witnessed, as well as incredulous. "What the hell?!" Byakuya cursed. "What sane person would melt someone into butter and then eat it?!"

"I doubt it's actually butter but..." Kyoko commented.

"You're saying that like the mastermind is a sane person." Celeste pointed out, trying to hold down her own breakfast. "We can assure you, that they are not."

Mukuro herself also looked as nauseated as the others. Being a soldier for a couple of years has subjected her to many horrifying and nightmarish things. Death was a common thing she sees in her profession. But this execution…it was beyond what a soldier could condition themselves too, even the Ultimate Soldier. Is this something she would actually condemn her classmates to?

Chihiro, meanwhile, covered his mouth, his skin as white as a sheet and his stomach churning for various reasons. Despite what Mondo did, despite the biker killing his future self…he didn't want to see him die. Didn't want him to be executed by Monokuma. Especially not like that. There's not even anything left to remember him by. Grief, nausea, anguish, and despair hit him hard, causing a new wave of tears to come out of his red eyes.

A haunted look settled on Taka's face, his skin still as pale as it was before. Witnessing his best friend being killed, seeing that possible future…it felt too much too him. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if there was anything he could've done. Anything that would've stopped Mondo from killing Chihiro. That question couldn't leave his head. ' _Mondo. My…brother…'_ Slowly, tears slipped from his eyes.

The only ones who weren't nauseated or horrified by the execution was Jill and Junko. Junko was feeling orgasmic pleasure at the despair of another execution, as well as complimenting her future self for her creativeness. Jill was also impressed with the creativeness of the killing, though she much prefered the straight up, face to face killing.

And the culprit himself? He stared dejectedly at the screen. As far as he was concerned, this is what he deserved. ' _Every single bit of that.'_ Mondo thought. For killing his brother. For killing Chihiro. For being so weak. However, even he couldn't shake how disgusting the execution was, knowing that that was the fate that awaited him.

Hina, after she finally finished puking, dropped her bag on the table and wrapped her arms around herself. "Another one dead…" Hina said, shaken. "How…many more of us are we going to see die?" She turned to look for Spirit, but he had already disappeared, leaving the question hanging in the air.

That was a question no one could answer. One that echoed in every mind. How long will this continue? How many times are they going see murder and executions? How long are they going to see and feel this despair?

How long…until they can no longer take it?

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter, and that it was just as emotional as the last trial. The more I get further and further into the story, the more I feel that the class is going to have a lot of mental trauma just by watching this. Next chapter willing be finally wrapping up Chapter 2, and then the start of the break. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier's End-of-Chapter random rant:**

 **Repeating what Spirit said, thanks for making it to the end here! This is definitely the longest chapter to date so I hope you all enjoyed the content! Anyways, going off topic now, anyone here play Fate Grand Order? Really excited for that new singularity, and I already rolled Nightingale myself for all that hype xD. And on a different note, I know Nier:Automata has the great soundtrack tag on steam, but I didn't believe until I played it myself. That is some really atmospheric music if any of you enjoy music in video games.**


	41. Watching Ch 2: BLD P17 Break

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I was planning to let this out earlier, but college got in the way, as well as other affairs. Plus, a new fanfic idea came into my head (A Total Drama Fic) and it made it hard to write this one. I'm very tempted to do the fic, but I'm trying to resist the temptation (I blame my sister for deciding to watch the Total Drama series on Netflix). Hopefully, fighting off the idea didn't decrease the quality of this fic.**

 **So, on this chapter, we're finally gonna wrap up chapter 2 and then start the break. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Ok guys, I'm announcing that I'm leaving fic and Spirit is giving up as well. This will be the final chapter so y'all can stay in suspense for the remainder of your lives. Despair that you'll never see the ending to this story! Haha!**

 **Questions:**

 **Q: Are you going to add some lines from the English dub such as "That place is sealed tighter than Togami's butt."?  
L: Not anymore! This fic is OVVVVEEERRR! (And probably not. I believe Spirit is going off the English version of the game and not the Anime.)  
S: Correct. Like I said before, I'm mostly going the game, not the Anime. Though their might be times I use some scenes or lines from the anime, though it's only a MIGHT.**

 **Q: Shouldn't Kyoko be noticing things by now? (Like Junko not feeling anything for the executions?)  
L: As I said, this fic is OVVVEEERR! Your question is irrelevant! (Remember, Kyoko is human as well. Even though she probably spent more time around dead ones than live, I believe that she still has certain reactions to extreme things [such as these executions]. Regardless though, if it hasn't been specified, Spirit and I apologize but in the viewing area, Junko and Mukuro are actually sitting behind Kyoko so she wouldn't notice anyways. :P)  
**

 **Q: Timeline Reminder  
** **L: Irrelevant! Fic is over after this anyways so suck it! (So, remember this is before things Junko makes sh!t hit the fan, but long enough into the first school term for everyone to start becoming comfortable with each other. IIRC, Junko's plans start officially go into motion about a year after they start going to Hope's Peak, and we'll say that it takes Makoto about half a year to get on good terms with everyone as well as general bonding with the class. So, if I were to put it, somewhere past the 6 month part of the first year, but no later than 8 months in. Take that how you will :P)**

Chapter 40: Watching Ch 2: Boys' Life of Despair Part 17 + Break

 **The screen then went back to the trial room, with everyone looking disgusted and horrified. Monokuma was the first to speak. "Laugh at death, and your soul will forever be at peace." The bear stated mockingly.**

" **It…can't be…" Taka muttered, completely pale. "My…brother…"**

' _ **Another murder…another execution…'**_ **Makoto thought numbly.** ' _ **I want to feel again…everyone's lives here are taken so lightly here…I feel like I'm might be going mad…maybe I'll just…let it happen…'**_ **He was broke out of his thoughts when Taka began crying out in anguish and grief. Tears poured out of his as he screamed and shouted.**

Taka's grief filled screams resonated in everyone's ears. It was an agonizing scene, to see the usually composed and punctual Taka drowning in his own tears.

"Taka…" Hina choked out, staring at the shooked moral compass. "I can't even imagine what he's feeling."

Makoto shook his head at the unsightly moral compass, knowing all too well that feeling of betrayal.

" **As Taka's screams invaded our skulls, we were forced to realize once again…" The narrator Makoto spoke up once again. "But he…of course he had to…"**

" **What a disappointment." Byakuya scoffed uncaringly. "This is the end of the game?"**

His words snapped almost everyone out of their stupor. Just about everyone reflexively turned to Byakuya, speechless about how he was taking it. Even Genocide Jack was oddly quiet about this.

"What….what?" Leon slowly asked, anger slowly rising up in his voice.

"You...you..." Hina couldn't bring herself to speak, her eyes already flooded with tears and her voice couldn't hold out as well.

Byakuya could only stay silent in the eyes of his classmates. He felt like he was suffocating from their appalled reactions paralyzed that him and made him hate his past self even more. The frozen atmosphere was temporarily alleviated as a very emotional Hina spoke from the screen again.

" **You're completely insane, you know that?" Hina growled, tears pooling from her eyes. "A game? One of our friends is dead! Do you realize that?!"**

" **Of course I do. Because this game is life or death." Byakuya responded back.**

 **Kyoko lightly glare at Byakuya. "I don't have anything to say to you." She told him coldly. "I don't have a response, except that…I just don't understand why. Why did you go out of your way to disguise Mondo's crime?"**

Everyone who wasn't lost in their emotions tensed up in anticipation of Byakuya's answer. The seconds in between Kyoko's question and Byakuya's response felt much longer than it really was.

 **"Why...?" Byakuya rhetorically repeated.**

Makoto heard the sound of Leon clenching his fist next to him. Though Makoto has a feeling that he knows exactly what's going to be said, he can't help but share the same tension Leon is experiencing. Meanwhile, Byakuya clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on his sleeves in his typical crossed arm seating position.

 **"Isn't it obvious?"**

Byakuya gripped his sleeves even harder. He knew this tone of speech all too well, that look on his face, that smirk.

 **"Because it made things interesting."**

A drop of sweat rolled down the side of Makoto's face. Though he feels like he knows exactly what he's going to say, he still found himself extremely tense from the result of all of this. He looked around, very concerned about how everyone was going to react.

Beside him, both Leon and Sayaka were similarly very rigid like himself. Though he couldn't see Kyoko's face because of her hair, he could tell that disappointment and disapproval were just putting things very nicely judging by her aura.

Further down, Hiro haven't said anything for a while, and he's sitting there completely appalled, Hifumi sharing a similar reaction to his. Near them, Hina was visibly shaking as tears continued streaming down her eyes with Sakura holding her close, both a concerned and dangerous look on her face. Celeste looks oddly composed about this, but knowing from experience, that's not always a good thing.

Mukuro was... to put it lightly, very displeased while Junko's face was blank. Though it was very uncharacteristic for Junko to have a blank face, this might've been beyond what she was expecting.

Finally, Taka looked like he was about to burst, both of his arms gripping the arm rests of his chair tightly as if he was ready to spring up into action, while Mondo was conflicted on taking action or wallowing in self loathe. Chihiro though crying, found himself uncomfortably in between the two.

Before anyone could speak however, Byakuya continued on the screen.

 **"Last night, when the murder took place, I was in the library as usual."**

" **So you ignored the nighttime rule too…" Celeste sighed, displeased.**

" **That rule never mattered to me." Byakuya replied back. "I don't recall agreeing to it."**

" **Well, I don't particularly care. Please continue." The gambler told him.**

" **The night grew late, and I decide to return to my room. Which is when I stumbled upon him…" The heir continued. "I spotted Mondo coming out of the girls locker room. After he'd gone, I looked inside and saw the corpse."**

" **Wh-?! You mean you actually witnessed the murder?!" Hiro exclaimed in shock.**

" **He was such a fool. He didn't have the slightest idea that I'd seen him." Byakuya snickered.**

" **So…you're saying you knew who the culprit was from the very beginning?" Hifumi inquired nervously.**

" **Indeed." The heir confirmed. "But if that had been the end of it, how boring would that have been? I mean, what a waste of time to have the answer revealed right at the beginning. Which is why I decided to…lend a little helping hand. I thought it would liven things up."**

 **Everyone stared at him in shock. "You did all that…to 'liven things up'?!" Makoto exclaimed incredulously.**

Makoto's onscreen reaction was enough to wake everyone up from their stupor.

"YOU BASTARD!" Taka roared, finally able to launch himself up from his chair towards Byakuya. However, he only made managed to make three steps before Mondo grabbed his arm.

"Please move out of the way." Taka growled angrily, but Mondo shook his head.

"Look man, its not worth it." Mondo said, also very mad about his explanation.

"He needs to learn his lesson one way or another! This is just corporal punishment. I'll make sure to go 'easy' on him." Taka said threateningly, trying to twist away from Mondo's grip.

"Wasn't it you who said corporal punishment was unjustified?" Mondo gritted. Though Taka's build looked average, he was much stronger than his looks suggested due to his daily rigorous training.

"THIS CALLS FOR EXTREME MEASURES MONDO! JUST LET ME BEAT SOME SENSE INTO HIM!" Taka yelled, increasing his resistance.

"LOOK AT ME HERE!" Mondo roared, louder than Taka. "I've been trying to beat sense into people for a long time now and look at where it's got me!"

With that, Taka threw his fist at his chair, knocking it over before ceasing his resistance and fell silent. Mondo, seeing that he's calmed down a bit, let go of him and sat back down. The others could only watch in surprise as their roles were swapped for once. Gritting his teeth, Taka performed a half-bow, picked up his chair and sat back down in begrudging silence.

As Taka picked up his chair, Hina couldn't hold it in anymore and started bawling. "I can't... I just can't believe you! Just... how...how do you see the world like this?" She spurted out in between crying.

Of course, Byakuya had no reply to all of this. Contrary to his other self on the screen, there were no witty remarks to make, no arrogant replies, no condescending attitude to take. Had Spirit not been here, he's sure that under normal circumstances, Mondo would have killed him if he heard that elsewhere.

Junko meanwhile, tried her hardest to maintain her blank face. This was all so much more than she expected that she didn't know any other way to hide her true feelings to all of this. In fact, when she made eye contact with Makoto earlier, she thought she had been found out. But much to Junko's dismay, her half-assed blank face had convinced him otherwise. Even so... for things to turn out like this, it was really interesting in it's own way. No one saw the creepy smile slowly form on Junko's face as things on the screen got even better for her.

" **So after hearing about Genocide Jack from Toko, you decided to use that…to create a fake murder scene?" Kyoko realized.**

" **But damn, man…if we hadn't figured out who'd really done it, you woulda been dead too, right?" Hiro pointed out.**

" **Well obviously I would have revealed the truth before it reached that point. Of course…" Byakuya turned and looked directly at Makoto, causing him to stiffen.**

For once, Byakuya tensed up the moment he figured out why he had done everything. His eyes popped wide and he took an non-composed breath of air in his moment of realization. Of course, the things he done could not have only been for entertainment, everything he had done had a purpose. How could he have not realized it until now?

" **Thanks to a certain remarkable someone, it never did. And I was able to perform an interesting experiment." The heir stated. "Once I do decide to become blackened, I now know who I'll have to watch out for."**

" **Wh-?!" Makoto took a step back at the implied threat.**

Suddenly, Byakuya stood up and started walking away, startling everyone else as they were just about to turn to him again.

"Hey! Just where do you think you're going?" Leon asked angrily, causing Byakuya to stop on his way to his room. He visibly took a breath before replying.

"Its none of your business. I simply felt like going for a walk." Byakuya said, not turning around.

"W-Woah, didn't Spirit say we all had to watch this?" Hiro asked, speaking up for once.

"The most important part is over is it not? Besides, you can fill me in later." Byakuya retorted.

"But Byakuya.." Makoto said.

"Shut it. I don't need this from you. Not now." Byakuya shot back and walked away without giving someone a chance to speak.

Makoto turned to Spirit, who oddly enough, hadn't stopped him. Spirit simply shrugged.

"He is somewhat correct. You can fill him in afterwards." Spirit said.

"Welp, in that case, I'm going to take a walk too! Geez listening to all this nonsense is boring." Jack said.

"W-Wait, not you too!" Makoto cried.

"Shut it beansprout! Unless you want me to give you a special haircut? Or a head cut? Which do you prefer?" Jack shot back. When Makoto didn't reply, Jack laughed.

"Kyahahaha! Good boy! Good boy! Ja, I'll be in my room... sharpening my scissors..." Jack said to herself before walking away as well.

Makoto looked at everyone else, though no one else was leaving, their faces said it all: " _Let's just get this over with."_ With that, Makoto nodded towards Spirit, who had paused the TV to continue.

" **So that was your reason…" Kyoko sighed.**

" **Are you satisfied?" Byakuya inquired.**

" **Yes. We're done listening to your story. Moving on…" The lavender haired girl turned to Monokuma. "There's something I like to ask Monokuma."**

" **Oh?" The bear tilted his head. "I'm up next?"**

" **You like to perform these elaborate executions each time, correct?" Kyoko inquired. "My question is…why?"**

That managed to temporarily suppress everyone's current emotions and pay attention. Now that Kyoko mentioned it, they want to know that too. Why does Monokuma perform these extreme and bizarre executions?

 **Monokuma let out a small laugh at that. "Do you like them?" He asked. "But you know, this punishment, this despair - it's not just for you. All this punishment, all this despair is my gift to mankind itself!"**

" **You're over exaggerating." Kyoko deadpanned.**

" **I am not over exaggerating!" Monokuma refuted. "These punishments are meant to transform all hope to despair!"**

"What the hell is he talking about?" Leon asked with obvious confusion. "A gift to the whole world?"

"Transforming all hope to despair?" Kyoko added, furrowing her eyebrows. What are these hints Monokuma is giving…

"How is this a gift to the whole world?" Celeste questioned.

" **...What do you mean?" Sakura inquired, confuse.**

" **Mean…?" Monokuma repeated. "Meeaaan…? Mean?" He begin sounding angrier. "Mean, mean, mean, mean, mean, mean, mean, mean, mean, mean!" That's when he exploded. "Good GRIEF! I don't understand why you have to pick apart every little stupid thing!"**

' _He's not going to elaborate.'_ Kyoko thought with a mental sigh. She kinda expected that.

 **Byakuya scoffed. "Whatever, it doesn't matter." He said. "In the end, I'm going to stand alone as the victor. And then everything will be revealed to me."**

" **Ahh, the noble son of a noble family…truly you understand me!" Monokuma gave his signature laughter. "I think this is the start of a terrifying friendship!"**

For a moment, Makoto could feel the bitterness that everyone held against Byakuya return again.

" **Shut up. I would never stoop to the level of a childish criminal like you." Byakuya said coldly. "Let me just say this…after I have achieved complete victory…you're up next. I'm going to find and kill you. Understand? In the name of the Togami family, for which victory is foregone conclusion…"**

" **Oooh, so cool!" Monokuma mockingly gushed. "It's like you're the main character of a video game or something! No trash mob for you!"**

" **I swear, whatever it takes…I will kill you!" Byakuya growled.**

"Wow. Guess Byakuya still hates Monokuma as much as all of us do." Hiro said.

"Indeed. For someone so fixated on entertainment, I have to say this was unexpected." Celeste commented as well.

"Of course he would." Makoto said. While Byakuya looks like he's enjoying this, it still doesn't change the fact that the mastermind kidnapped him and put him in that situation against his will.

 **The bear merely laughed. "Temper, temper! Sounds like someone needs a nap!" Monokuma then continued laughing evilly.**

 **The camera then slowly moved to each of the traumatized and shaken faces of the Ultimates. "Monokuma's laughter peeled across the courtroom, and the curtain closed on the case of Chihiro and Mondo." The narrator Makoto spoke up. "But I knew it wasn't the end. The killing game will still continue…because the mastermind wouldn't let it end. For those of us who were still alive, our worst fear and despair kept on multiplying…it was the kind of despair that felt like a blind puppy in hell had more of a future than us…all of our courage, our effort, our friendship…it felt like it amounted to nothing at all.**

" **...It was the worst kind of despair." With that last statement, the screen went black.**

Makoto's narration sunk the atmosphere of the room again. The constant question of "How many more of them were going to die?" "How many more executions were there to watch?" "How many times are they going to watch themselves hang their heads in defeat at the hands of Monokuma?" circled around everyone's minds. With such heavy thoughts, everyone was ready to leave before stopping themselves as Spirit held up his hand, commanding them to stay. Weary and confused, they returned their attention to the screen, wondering what else was going to be shown.

 **The next scene was Monokuma in a monitor room, with a silhouette of a person facing him.**

"W-What is this?" Makoto asked reflexively.

"T-This must be one of those scenes where the mastermind speaks to the traitor of the group!" Hifumi chimed in.

"As useless as your usual rants are... you might be spot on about this one..." Sayaka said, causing Hifumi's eyes to glint in excitement.

"But of course! As a man of art, this is just common knowledge!" Everyone ignored him on that comment.

 **"Well, anyway, like I saying…" The bear said. "This is a pretty good spot…yeah, a really good spot!"**

" **Anyway, isn't it amazing how that girl went and killed someone before things even had a chance to get boring? Once things really get moving, it'll be like a roller-coaster. There won't be any stopping it! Fear and despair charge forward at a speed nothing can hope to match."**

Sayaka flinch in guilt at the reminder that she was the first to try and kill. By Monokuma's words, she caused this, she caused the killing game to begin. Every death that happened, and will happen, was because she succumbed to Monokuma's sick game first.

" **But I must admit, I'm disappointed…" He continued. "I went to all the pain and effort of making you part of the group, and you couldn't play your part…you do remember you were supposed to make the first move, right?"**

"W-What?" Leon gasped.

"N-No way..." Sayaka breathed out.

Mukuro also looked completely surprised. She was supposed to be the only mole in the game, who was this one? How many more were there? It made her mad that Junko didn't tell her because she wasn't supposed to live up to this point either.

 **The bear then shrugged. "Well, no biggie. Nothing we can do about it now. So just do your best to make things more exciting from now on, okay? After all, that's what everyone wants to see…"**

"What the heck is he talking about?" Hina exclaimed in confusion and frustration. "And who on earth is he talking to?"

"Is one of us…actually working for the mastermind?" Celeste asked. Though she very much knew the answer, she still asked in the hopes of being refuted.

"Apparently so." Mukuro replied. Junko looked at her, displeased for helping the group, but Mukuro returned the look, displeased that Junko haven't told her who it was in the first place, on top of betraying her. "This person, is a mole for Monokuma it seems. Someone who was supposed to start the killing game."

Mukuro's reply shocked the entire group. "WHAAAAAT?!" Hifumi screamed in shock, despite his guess. "One of us is…an ally of Monokuma?!"

"A traitor?!" Hiro exclaimed in panic.

"But, that's impossible!" Hina denied, shaking her head. "Who would want to work with the bear?!"

"You're assuming it's of their own volition." Kyoko pointed out. "Keep in mind that the mastermind has a large amount of information on each of us."

"Which means that he can force any of us to be moles." Celeste concluded, her brows furrowed from the fact that she haven't ever considered this to be true. "Or to kill, judging by his words."

"That is…a possibility." Sakura conceded. "But which one of us is working with him?"

That cause of wave of distrust to form around the group. Which one of them is a spy for the mastermind? Which one of them is allying with him?

 **The silhouette was silent for a moment. Then, they spoke. "There's one thing I like to ask you…"**

"Um, why is there subtitles here?" Hifumi asked with a frown. "And why can't we hear the person speaking?"

"Spirit probably made this, to keep the person anonymous for the time being." Kyoko answered, seeing as their host disappeared once again.

"But why?" Sakura questioned. "Why keep it hidden?"

"There's probably a point where it would be revealed to us in one of the other chapters." Mukuro guessed. "At the very least, in the next chapter."

"And so we'll find out which one of us is the traitor?" Hifumi inquired.

"Don't say that!" Makoto protested. "We don't know for sure if there's a traitor!" While Monokuma's words does bother him a bit, there's still a chance that it could be someone outside of their class. He isn't gonna doubt any of his friends until there's some evidence that one of them is with the mastermind.

" **As long as you don't wanna know my measurements, fire away!" Monokuma complied.**

" **Who is it?" They asked. "The sixteenth high school student, I mean…"**

 **That cause Monokuma to make a sound of surprise there.**

That caught everyone's attention.

"Huh?"

"Sixteenth student?"

"Are they talking about Junko?"

Heads immediately turned to Junko. In response, Junko waved her arms in front of them. "Hey, don't look at me! I don't have a clue what the bear's talking about!" And she was actually telling the truth. But her analyst mind is working on figuring it out. ' _Mukuro wasn't the only mole? Who else could I have possibly manipulated?'_

More questions came into their head, with the more analytical ones analyzing the information given to them.

" **My, my, you really took me by surprise there." Monokuma admitted. "I know I said you could ask anything, but…super denied! Ultra denied! Demonic denied! Because you see…that's my ace in the hole."**

More than a few students were nervous at the claim. "A-Ace in the hole?" Hiro stuttered out nervously. "Please tell me he's exaggerating."

"I really hope so, dude." Leon replied back. "I really do."

With that little bit of info, the best conclusion Junko could come up with was that she planned to use Mukuro for something. But for what? That's where she get stuck in.

And that gets her excited! That unpredictable card! She's really eager to see how that card is played.

Mukuro noticed her sister's gleeful aura that only she can perceive. Immediately, she knew why. " _So she doesn't know either... another spontaneous decision? Likely after I was removed since I wouldn't ask about the 16th student..."_

" **And nobody would be dumb enough to reveal that, right? No matter how close they were to their 'friends'..." He ended his statement with his signature laughter, while the silhouette merely remained silent. And with that, the screen went black.**

" **Chapter 2, Boys' Life of Despair. THE END." Once again, the red and yellow silhouettes of the entire was shown, with Mondo's and Chihiro's getting blacked out next.**

As the video ended, the class went to process everything they saw once again. Grief, nausea, anger, curiosity, dread…all those emotions were being felt by the group.

Before anyone could say anything, Mondo got up from his seat and walked to the direction of their rooms, causing Taka and Chihiro to turn to him.

"M-Mondo?"

"B-Bro, wait!" Their voices stopped the biker in his tracks. After a moment, he spoke.

"Sorry, bro. I know your shocked and disappointed that I would do something like that." Mondo said softly, turning turning towards him. "I'm honestly pissed off with myself. After all this time, I'm still cowardly enough to kill someone like Chihiro. And Chihiro? ….I'm sorry. For what I did to you. And for not living up to your admiration." With that, the biker went upstairs.

The grief, turmoil, and anguish was clear on Taka's and Chihiro's faces. For Taka, knowing what Mondo's future self did, seeing his execution, left him in his current state. He honestly wanted to know if there was anything he couldn't done to stop it. Anything that would save his two friends.

For Chihiro, he felt betrayed, as well as deep sorrow when he found that Mondo was his killer. But when it was revealed on why he did what he did…a part of him felt responsible, as well as guilty. How could have just assumed that the motive wouldn't effect Mondo? That he didn't had anything bad in those letters?

After a moment of silence, Makoto hesitantly spoke up. "Um, let's go take a break. I think all of us needs one at this point."

"No kidding." Leon said under his breath, slowly releasing his tension. If chapter one was bad, this one was a lot worse. It really took all their energy.

"We'll re-converge here after our minds settle." Kyoko stated. "After that, we'll continue watching." A few of them flinched at that, but their silence conveyed their agreement that they will need to press on. As Hina and Taka silently got up and started leaving, Celeste asked a question.

"So, who's going to explain everything to Byakuya and Toko?"

The mention of Byakuya's name prompted a couple glares from Hina and Sayaka, but the gambler only sighed in response.

"As much as you hate him, they still need to be informed of this development. But I do share your sentiments, I would rather not speak to him as well." Celeste explained.

"I, I'll do it then." Makoto said.

"In that case, I will accompany you." Kyoko spoke up as well.

"Huh? I'm sure I can explain it to him myself." Makoto replied, not wanting to burden another person.

"Two brains are better than one is it not? I believe you said this to me multiple times." Kyoko shot back. "Besides, you're too prone to be emotional."

"Ah, I did say that. Alright then, we'll speak to them." Makoto said. "Ok everyone, make sure to get some rest, we'll meet here again tomorrow."

With that, everyone either returned to their own rooms or went to the recreation room to ease up their tension.

 **(Break Room)**

Anger. Guilt. Sorrow. And several more emotions were swirling in Sayaka's heart.

The Ultimate Pop Sensation is at one of the tables in the cafe, though she doesn't have any food in front of her. After seeing Mondo's execution, she wasn't up to eating anything. She doubt anyone is up to it right now.

"Not eating anything?" Mukuro said from behind.

"Ah Mukuro?" Sayaka said surprised.

"Skipping a meal can lead to some detrimental effects on your health. Surely as an idol, that could impact you in some way." Mukuro said.

"Thanks, but no thanks. At least, not with _that_ on my mind..." Sayaka said, feeling uncomfortable.

"Are you perhaps, referring to the execution?" Mukuro asked.

"Y-Yeah..." Sayaka said, looking away.

"If you're referring to the Monokuma, I doubt he was actually eating Mondo's remains." Mukuro said.

"W-What?" Sayaka reacted, surprised, causing Mukuro to sigh.

"I explained this to a couple others already, but as I said, that butter were not made with the fluids used from Mondo's execution. In fact, those fluids were not Mondo's remains at all." Mukuro explained.

"R-Really? How can you be so sure?" Sayaka asked.

"Well, I'd rather not get into the gruesome details, so I'll try to keep it simple. The cause of death for Mondo was likely either electrocution, heat, both of that, or being crushed by the forces he was subjected to. I've had my fair share of experiences in using fire based weapons, as well as witnessing electric weapons so I can say with certainty that when used on a person, it is impossible to only have that one liquid remain. As for the forces, the human body isn't meant to go at that kind of speed. Simply put, the faster one goes, the more pressure is put in one's internal organs. I'll leave it at that." Mukuro explained.

"So... Monokuma wasn't eating him after all?" Sayaka asked again, looking a little bit relieved.

"I guarantee it. Monokuma probably did this as a means of psychological warfare, or simply, to mess with our minds." Mukuro reassured her. Sayaka finally gave in, letting out a breath of relief as if something disturbing was lifted from her mind.

"If you're so confident about it, then I guess I'll trust your judgement on that. Thanks Mukuro." Sayaka said, letting out a small smile for the first time in a while.

"Don't worry about it." Mukuro brushed off in her usual tone while glancing behind her. "Although it seems like my presence is warding off a certain person right now." Though Mukuro spoke to herself, it made Leon audibly gulp from behind.

"It's alright Leon, I was just leaving anyways. I need to check up on my sister after all. I bid you two good night." Mukuro said before leaving.

"Ah, good night Mukuro." Sayaka said to the retreating soldier as Leon walked up and took her place. "Though she's usually quiet, she's awfully thoughtful isn't she?"

"I guess she is. That's definitely surprising considering the cold face she usually has on." Leon commented.

The two fell into a short silence next to each other as their feelings returned to them.

"Hey, you ok?" Leon suddenly asked, startling Sayaka.

"No... but yes." Sayaka replied uncertainly.

"I take it that you're still a bit pissed off?" Leon asked, to which Sayaka could only nod in confirmation.

Right now, her anger is overruling her other feeling. And the anger is pinpoint at one Ultimate Affluent Progeny.

First, he claimed that her death was somehow Makoto's fault. Next, he began acting worse than usual, saying that he plans to win this game and insulting everyone. Then he decided to string up Chihiro's corpse out of _boredom_. What pushed to pure fury was when he _threatened_ Makoto.

Using Chihiro body like that was enough to push her over the edge. No one deserve to have their corpse defiled like that, especially not someone as cute as Chihiro. But threatening the sweet, lucky student? Byakuya was very lucky that she acknowledge that it was future self that did all that. _Very_ lucky.

After a moment, her anger faded and the guilt she's feeling crept up. Like she had any reason to be protective of him. After all, she decided to kill somebody and pin the blame on him. And because of that choice, she ended started this killing game. A killing game that took Chihiro's and Mondo's lives in chapter 2.

Sorrow then mixed with her guilt. Neither of those two deserved their fate. Chihiro was just trying to be strong, trying to find the strength that was always been inside him, and tried to find someone that could support him. And Mondo? He made a mistake, a large one, one that he deeply regrets. Chihiro didn't deserve to get murdered and then used, while Mondo didn't deserve that brutal execution.

She couldn't help but think who's going to be next. Who else will be the victim? Who else will be the blackened? Who else will die because of her?

Shaking her head of those thoughts, she returned a question to the baseball prodigy.

"Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"Other than wanting to talk to my favorite idol?" Leon asked rhetorically with a smirk. But the smirk quickly fell. "Well, it's just that I felt like we need to talk. Are you up for it?"

Sayaka bit her lip nervously, but nodded. She knows that she needs to talk to Leon at some point, otherwise, things would just stay awkward between each other.

With her nod, Leon sat in front of her. The two was silent for a moment, neither one knowing what to say. For Leon, he doesn't really know what to actually say first, how to bring chapter 1's incident up. For Sayaka, she's trying to think up a good apology for Leon.

After a moment, Leon decided to speak first. "So, about the last chapter-"

"I'm sorry."

Sayaka's sudden apology took Leon by surprise. "Uh, what?"

"I'm sorry Leon." Sayaka repeated, guilt in her voice. "I know an apology isn't enough, but I can't think of anything else."

"Woah, woah, woah, hang on a moment." Leon backed up. "Why are you apologizing to me? I'm the one who killed you."

"Only because I attacked you first!" Sayaka shot back, her hands gripping her arms tightly. "If I didn't decide to attack you, you wouldn't have even thought about killing anybody! I caused you to become the blackened and get executed!"

"Sayaka…" Was all Leon could say, leaning back a little in surprise.

"And because of that, I want to apologize to you." The idol then stood up before bowing to him. "I'm so sorry, for trying to kill you. For causing you to be the blacken. And I hope you can still trust me."

The baseball player was silent for a moment, taking in her apology. Finally, he let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head. "Look, Sayaka, I'm as much to blame as you are." He told her. "I had plenty of chances to stop what I was doing, but I didn't. It's as much as my fault as it is yours. So how about we both forgive each other for what happen?"

"Does that mean…?" Sayaka looked up from her bowing position.

Leon gave her a reassuring smile. "Yea, I still trust you... as long as you still trust me."

Relief and happiness filled Sayaka's face as she sat back down. "Thank you, Leon." Sayaka said, unshed tears filling her eyes. "I won't break your trust like my future self did, I promise."

"And I promise not to come at you with a knife no matter what you do." Leon said jokingly, earning a small giggle from Sayaka. With that, the two began having a normal conversation once again, the tension between them gone.

(With Chihiro)

After chapter 2 ended, Chihiro went up to his room, not really wanting to go in the recreational room at the moment. He sat on his bed, curled up into a ball, various emotions mixed in his heart.

Sorrow. Anguish. Slight betrayal. That was Chihiro thought when he thought about his death. About how Mondo, the person he admires most, was the one to kill him.

' _But…why?'_ Chihiro thought, burying his face into his legs. ' _Why was he jealous of me? What's there to be jealous about?'_ Subconsciously, he knew why, after all, Mondo said it himself. But he just couldn't comprehend why. How could Mondo view him as strong? Of having strength? How could anyone, when all he did was hide by dressing as a girl?

' _I want to change.'_ Those words of his future self echoed into Chihiro's mind. Words that held courage and determination. Did his other really felt that way? He really felt the courage to reveal who he is to everyone? But where did it come from? How was he able to gain it? It was something his self-loathing mind couldn't figure out.

He was knocked out of his thoughts when a knock entered the room. "Chihiro?" Makoto called out. "Can I come in? Come talk to you?"

"O-Okay." Getting up from his bed, the programmer moved towards the door and opened it to let Makoto in. Chihiro was surprised to see Kyoko outside as well, but she made no motion to enter the room.

"Um, you're not coming in?" Chihiro asked.

"Ah, I just happened to be going to my room. Don't worry about me." Kyoko said, before walking down the hall.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Makoto said, giving Chihiro a soft smile. "Say Chihiro," He greeted softly. "How are you feeling?"

Chihiro looked down. "Not well." He said, his voice weak.

"Yeah, I can imagine that." The luckster then entered in the room, with Chihiro moving back onto the bed while Makoto sat beside him. "Want to talk about it?"

Chihiro curled up into a ball once again, silent. "...Why?" Chihiro finally asked, deciding to ask Makoto for answers. "Why was Mondo jealous? What reason for him to be jealous of me?"

Makoto sighed sadly at this. "It was because you were showing a strength he didn't have, Chihiro." Makoto said. "Combined with the stress of the situation, he just…reacted. Seeing that you were someone that he tried to become was just too much for him."

"But I'm not strong!" Chihiro protested, surprising Makoto. "I'm weak! Weak enough to get myself killed! To have to rely on others support! I couldn't even help anyone before I died!" Tears began leaking from his eyes as he started sobbing.. "I'm not strong. Not at all. I'm just a weak, little coward."

"No, that's wrong!" Makoto refuted strongly. Now it was Chihiro's turn to be shock, staring at the luckster with wide eyes. "You aren't weak, Chihiro. And you're certainly not a coward. You have a inner strength inside you, one that is larger than you think."

Chihiro's eyes widen even further at this. "B-But-"

"Chihiro, you had the courage to admit to me, Mondo, and Leon that you were a guy." Makoto pointed out, not letting him demeaned himself further. "You had to courage to face the reveal of your secret when we were watching the trial. And may I remind you that your future self had no memory of Hope's Peak, so that inner strength was always there. You just didn't know it."

Chihiro looked at Makoto, shock clear on his face. Is what Makoto saying really true? Does he really…have that kind of strength?

The luckster then smiled at him. "You are strong Chihiro. After all, you saw it for yourself didn't you? It might not have been the best circumstances, but all you really needed was just a little push. I'm sure you must have been feeling the same way."

The programmer was silent, taking in Makoto's words. It's true that he did need a push, but is he really as strong as Makoto says? He…always had that strength he was seeking? A part of his mind, the one that has always been told he was weak, was saying that he was still weak. But another part, one that's slowly growing, felt strengthened by Makoto's words of encouragement.

"I still don't know if I'm as strong as you say…" Chihiro said to himself, determination building with each word he spoke. "But I want to be. I want to have that strength, to rip off this layer of weakness and lies. I want to change!"

His words, the determination, brought a smile to Makoto's face. It was the look that Chihiro very rarely has. The same look his future counterpart had when he spoke to Mondo. One that revealed how brave he really is.

' _You already are strong, Chihiro.'_ Makoto thought with admiration. ' _You already have that courage. You just need to let it out.'_

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and that the quality is still up to snuff. Next will be the break. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier's random notes:  
**

 **If it weren't obvious enough, April fools guys. I personally don't really like the whole April fools phenomenon, joke, celebration thing... but for the sake of customs, I'll play along. Anyways, my school semester is coming to a close soon, and I'm taking the Summer off so hopefully, I'll find more time to write stuff (As well as doing the second chapter of Lost in Tranquility).**

 **I don't really have anything interesting to say here aside from the fact that I've watched a lot of anime, in particular, Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei was a really good one. Currently reading the LNs now and I can't wait for more on that. Another interesting couple was Nisekoi! and Masamune-kun no Revenge (Although, I'm sad it's been a while since the manga update). Check those two out if you're one for romance!**


	42. Break Chapter 2

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, here we got another break chapter for the class. But this time, the group is more separated from each other than the last two breaks. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Ok, since some of you still fell for my April Fools stunt, I apologize for the spook :P. Anyways, I'm going to keep things short here since I have a final tomorrow (4/19 if this is uploaded after midnight) and I really should be doing some last minute review before sleeping hahaha. (I say review but lets be real, it's more appropriate to say last minute cramming.)**

 **There's a lot of reactions instead of questions this time around, so I'll give you some of my thoughts on these matters instead of answering questions :)**

 **Regarding the timeline as a whole:  
L: Alrighty, prepare for a huge block of text here :D**

 **Let's start with two facts that we know for certain regarding the whole thing. 1) According to the Dangan Wiki, the Tragedy (AKA the world wide chaos and killing) happens 1 year BEFORE Class 78's killing game. 2) From the game, we know that Class 78 lost two years of their memories so they would be clueless about everything. Now, onto the contested issue: "Shouldn't the class be aware of the early signs of the tragedy? Shouldn't the reserve course be rioting right now?" and my answer to that is: They could be, but not enough to warrant that much concern. Doing simple math, in the best case scenario, Class 78 had at least a year of regular school memories. Seeing as how it took time for Junko to start meddling with her senpais (Class 77 and the Student Council), we can reasonable take off 1-3 months of that time depending on how high you praise Junko for her abilities. In addition, she's also researching into the dark side of Hope's Peak and trying to bring Izuru Kamukura onto her side all the while trying to dodge security (mostly Juzo [but hell, still manipulates him anyways]) so pop on another month or two here. Given all of this, when we started this story, the class has bonded enough that everyone sees each other as friends. Although Makoto may not have gathered enough bond points with everyone where he gets their undies, everyone is on friendly enough terms to stand with each other. We know that Makoto is incredibly easy to befriend, and he even manages to befriend the more difficult people such as Byakuya and Kyoko. Given that, he's also managed to bring everyone together on good enough terms which I'll say, probably takes quite a while. With a class with such a variety of characters and possible internal issues, I gave Makoto about 4-6 months of bonding with everyone that brought them here. And where does this leave us? We are about 4-6 months into the first school year, which means there's still about 6-8 months before the Tragedy happens, or at least a couple months before Junko starts her meddling. Of course, a lot of this is left up to the reader's interpretations so my interpretation here could be different from yours, and that's ok! Imagine it how you want, after all, Danganronpa's experience is best left to the viewer rather than imposed upon you by other people :)**

 **Whew! That should answer some questions about class 77 too.**

 **Q: There's a bit of a lack of focus on the guys' interactions with Makoto  
L: In Hindsight, you're probably right. I'm answering your question after I edited the chapter so if stuff here isn't good enough, I'll see about making them more meaningful in the future. (Though that might be short lived considering two guys just got nicked and two more will get nicked in the next chapter...)  
**

 **Q: Sayaka and Leon are a couple, aren't they?  
L: Strictly based on the game, no. It was a one-sided affection from Leon to Sayaka. In this story, also no. It's Makoto's Harem here. However, within the fandom? It seems to be very popular so I'm sure you can find some stories relating to that.  
S: Agreed.**

 **Q: "** **But honestly,if you just goes with that 'watch a murder and execution,the one that involved is assuring each other,and watch again' is boring"  
L: I won't say too much, but you won't be disappointed ;)  
**

 **Alright. Enjoy this chapter, and if I don't appear on the next chapter, assume I have died from finals stress/shock.**

Chapter 41: Break Chapter

The air around the group was tense after the last viewing. Finding out Mondo killed Chihiro, what Byakuya done, and the possibility of a traitor in their group…it caused the previously warm air to turn cold.

Instead of gathered with one another, the group was more spread out. Celeste and Hifumi are at the lounge, with a magazine and a manga in their hands, respectively. Hiro is restlessly pacing around the room, panicking. Sakura is comforting the currently shaken up Hina. And Junko is watching the entire scene from afar, enjoying every bit of the distrustful air.

' _This is better than I thought! The distrust is slowly thickening the air!'_ Junko thought giddily as she looked at the group. ' _Sakura so protective of Hina. Hiro running around in a panic. Celestia and Hifumi dig up into their books. And some of the others isolated in their rooms. This despair is so, so, delicious!'_

Then her giddy smile turn into a small frown when she looked at Sayaka and Leon, who're talking with one another. ' _Although, some of that tension is going away for some of them. Curse Makoto and his optimism!'_ She's tempted to go over there and break that newly form trust, but refrained herself. Right now, she has to keep herself off the radar, especially from the female Holmes.

' _Mr. Positive is probably up there, trying to cheer everyone up.'_ Junko thought to herself unpleasantly. ' _With him there, the air full of distrust and despair isn't going to last for long. I wonder, is there any way to break him? Anyway that I can turn that disgusting hope of is into sweet, sweet despair?'_

Her thoughts were stopped when she saw Mukuro coming towards her. "Hey Junko." The soldier regarded her. "How are you feeling?"

"Feeling really good, Muku~!" Junko cheered, pumping her fist up. "Watching a murder, a despairful trial, with a more despairful execution! And now, we have such despairful tension with our classes! It's wonderful!"

Mukuro manage to withheld a sigh at this, or any other emotional actions. How could Junko enjoy all this? Watching the despair of others and feeling that despair herself? It wasn't the first time she thought about this, but now, that question is constantly in her head.

"The only problem is that our little dork of a lucky student is derailing that entertainment." Junko, getting into her cutesy persona, pouted. "Stupid meanie! Getting Sayaka and Leon to make up! Why can't you let me have my fun?"

"Do you plan to do something about it?" Mukuro asked, trying not to show any outward emotions about it. If Junko plans to try and get rid of Makoto, she doesn't know what she'll do. She still love and care for her sister, but her loyalty to her classmate, to Makoto, is slowly growing stronger.

Junko look at her sister curiously. "Why do you ask? Worried about your little crush?" At Mukuro's tenseness, the fashionista let out a laugh. "Oh, don't worry! I don't plan to kill him! I doubt that Spirit guy would let me anyway! No, I'm thinking of other ways to derail his ploys. But what should I do, what should I do…"

Junko put on a thinking face, tapping her finger on the table she's on. When she moved her eyes towards her sister, an idea clicked in her mind. A way to break Makoto. And slowly, an mischievous, evil grin entered her face.

That grin unsettled Mukuro greatly. "What are you planning?" The soldier asked cautiously.

"Oh, you'll see twin sister of mine." Junko said mischievously. "You'll see."

(With Hina and Sakura)

Hina is a very empathetic person. Out of all of her classmates, only Makoto is at least close to matching her heart. It's one of her strongest traits, and one that made her easily get along with others.

However, those traits are working against her now.

The young swimmer is at one the table, with sorrow and anguish clear on her face, and her body shaking with said emotions. Beside her is Sakura, who is giving her a comforting presence.

Finding out that their memories were wiped. Learning that they were forced into a killing game. Seeing five of her friends dead, either by each other's hands or Monokuma's. Byakuya's attitude about the entire thing. And now, the possibility that one of them is a traitor.

All of this felt too much for Hina. Seeing their future, seeing what could happen, it's making her scared. She's scared of what's going to happen in the next chapter. Scared of which one is going to kill or be killed. Will she become a victim, or even…a murderer? Would Sakura?

"This is affecting you a great deal, isn't it Hina?" That cause Hina to turn to her martial artist friend.

After a moment, she nodded. "I…I never thought any of us would kill Chihiro." Hina said, her voice wrapped in emotions. "I especially didn't think Mondo, of all people, would be the one to do it."

"I would have to agree. I did not think Mondo would stoop to that." Sakura sighed, a heavy frown on her face. "And neither did I think Sayaka would use Makoto's trust the way she did. Or that one of us would be a mole for Monokuma."

"And Byakuya. He's acting almost as sadistic as Monokuma." Hina added, anger being laced in her layers of feelings. "He's enjoying this game, enjoying us killing each other, and saying that he'll be the one to win it. How…how could he act like that? How could any of them act so differently?"

"When put into a situation such as this killing game, it tends to make those act irrationally." Sakura sighed. "Survival, desperation, fear, anger…those emotions take a hold of you, and cause you to do things you wouldn't even think of doing in any normal situation."

"Do you…do you think we'll act like that to?" Hina asked fearfully, wrapping her arms around herself. "Do you think either of us would be the next blacken? Or victims? Or…even the traitor in the last scene?"

Immediately, Sakura wrapped an arm around her friend. "You wouldn't, Hina. Your too kind, too compassionate, to even think about killing others." The martial artist assured her. "There's nothing that would make you take another life and you care so much about life that you wouldn't want to kill to escape. As for us being victims…I cannot say for certain. However, if it does happen, take heart that we'll be able to stop it from happening."

Though Sakura stopped talking, her mouth remained open as if she wasn't done. The words that hung from her mouth was that, the classmates she's with, the friends she's become familiar with, were apparently not the people that she had came to know. Sakura knew far too well that every person has another side to them, and when their control over this other side starts to thin, things get ugly. But looking down at her shaken friend who seemed to be contemplating what she had said, Sakura could not bring herself put any more pressure onto Hina.

Hina was silent for a moment. But slowly, she turned and wrapped the larger girl in a hug, one that Sakura softly returned. "I hope your right, Sakura." Hina croaked, clinging onto her friend tightly. For her, either of them being the victim or the blackened was terrifying.

But what's more terrifying…is the possibility that she would take Sakura's life.

(With Celeste)

Celestia Ludenberg sees herself as a very composed person.

After all, she had spent years learning to masking her emotions and the art of lying. Mastered it enough where she earned the title of the Ultimate Gambler, as well as the 'Queen of Liars'. With a name like that, it's obvious that she doesn't let her emotions show.

But while she does seem composed, calmly looking through the latest magazine as she ignored the panicked pacing and muttering of Hiro, the inner part of herself says otherwise. There was contempt for what had the future Byakuya had said and done. Disgust at the killing game itself, along with the murders that had happen in it. Disappointment at her classmates for breaking the nighttime rule that she had proposed. Anger that Monokuma trapped her future self inside there, away from her dream.

Oh yes, a significant amount of anger. When/if they found out who the mastermind really is, they will pay for what they plan to do to her. She will be certain that what they have planned does not come to fruition. She will not let them put her in that position. In that position…of weakness.

She then thought back to the chapters they have seen so far. Specifically, the murders and trials. From what she have seen so far, the much more stronger classmates had taken down the less active ones. Leon manage to overpower and killed Sayaka. Mondo wielded a dumbbell and murdered Chihiro with one, powerful strike.

She couldn't help but wonder what this meant. What will it mean for her? Will somebody else try to attack her? Will she…become a victim?

She suddenly grabbed her shaking hand, dropping her magazine in her lap. Why on Earth was she thinking such things? It's not a certainty that the stronger students will kill the weaker. Just because it happened twice doesn't mean a third time will be guaranteed. Why would she need to worry? As long as her future stays smart and careful, which she has no doubt she will, then everything will be fine.

So why was her hand shaking like that?

"Ms. Ludenberg?" The gambler looked up to see Hifumi, who looked up from his manga, staring at her worriedly. "Are you alright?"

Celeste gave him a polite smile. "I am fine, Hifumi. There's nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure? Cause I saw your hand shaking." Hifumi pointed out. That cause Celeste's smile to be slightly more strain.

"You are imagining things." Celeste said more forcefully, hoping that Hifumi doesn't say anything else. "I assure you, neither of my hands were shaking."

"Don't have to hide that you're scared, Ms. Ludenberg. Not even your high level persuasion can hide that-"

"I'M NOT SCARED!" Celeste suddenly shouted, losing her composure and her accent. Her angry shout caused Hifumi to recoil and shrivel up into his chair. Celeste then quickly turned her head towards Hiro, who froze in fear at her shout. "And Hiro you better stop that goddamn pacing and muttering! It's annoying me to hell!"

Hiro yelped and fell backwards upon the sudden outburst against him before rapidly backing away from the angry gambler. "Y-Yes ma'am! I'll be quiet!"

Celeste, seeing that she lost her composure once again, quickly got her mask on. After a few breaths, she smiled back towards Hifumi. "I am not scared, Hifumi. What you say, was simply part of your imagination."

"I-If you say so." While not fully believing her, Hifumi didn't pry anymore and went back to his manga. However, he knew that Ms. Ludenberg is feeling scared. He's not a complete fool. He knows that the shaking of her arm wasn't his imagination.

Meanwhile, Celeste went back to what she was reading as well. Her, scared? That is ludicrous. What does she have to fear? No one will kill her as long as she stayed vigilant. As long as she doesn't go along with someone, especially during the night, and kept to the rules Monokuma made, she will not die. There's nothing for her to be afraid of.

So why was her hand shaking?

(Before Makoto talked to Chihiro)

Makoto and Kyoko quickly made their way to Byakuya's room. Once there, Makoto gave the door a knock. "Byakuya? We finished."

"And there's a couple of things you need to you." Kyoko added. After a moment, Byakuya opened the door and met the two face to face.

"Come in. I'd rather not have the discussion out here." With that, he went back into his room. Kyoko and Makoto followed him in as the heir sat on his bed. "So, what is it?"

"For one, there's someone working with Monokuma." Makoto began with. "And there were some hints that says that the person is one of us."

Byakuya furrowed his brows. "A traitor?"

"Possibly." Kyoko answered. "But we can't say for certain. The other thing is that the accomplice had asked about a sixteenth student."

"Oh?" Byakuya's curiosity increased. "Are they talking about Junko?"

"We're not sure." Makoto answered for Kyoko. "But I doubt it. Monokuma said that this sixteenth student was his 'triumph card'."

That cause the heir to frown even further. "That is disconcerting." He murmured. "It seems that we are getting more questions than answers right now."

"That is true. Right now, we have little to no answers on what's happening." Kyoko mused with her usual thinking face. "Instead, each chapter is giving us more and more questions."

"When do you think we'll get some answers?" Makoto asked them.

"Not sure. All we can do is guess at this point." Kyoko conceded. "But let's not dwell on it for now. Eventually, we will get the answers we need. Otherwise, there would be no point in bringing us here."

"True enough." Byakuya agreed. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

"Just one more thing." Kyoko said. "After questioning your future self, I asked Monokuma about the executions he's been giving us. His answer was curious."

Byakuya's brow twitched at the mention of his questioning, but he made no effort to ask about that. ' _Perhaps he's still hung up on it?'_ Makoto thought to himself.

"You mean how he said that the despair was a gift to the entire world, right?" Makoto inquired, frowning at the memory.

That cause Byakuya to raise an eyebrow. "A gift to the entire world? Surely that's just an exaggeration."

"My future self said that as well. But Monokuma was adamant that it wasn't." Kyoko told him. While she still thinks that he was exaggerating, to a degree, it made her wonder…how was it a gift?

"I see then. This will be something to think about." Byakuya said, appearing as if in thought. "If there's nothing more, then you can leave."

Kyoko nodded and made her way to the door, deciding not to make a remark about his attitude. Makoto hesitated for a moment before following Kyoko. Though he wanted to stay behind and talk, he had the feeling that Byakuya needed more time to himself before he talks to him.

After they went out, and closed the door, the two of them walked away. "I hope Byakuya is alright." The luckster sighed. "Can't really imagine how he's feeling."

"While Byakuya is a strong-willed person, witnessing what he would've done in a position like that would surely cause him some conflict of sorts." Kyoko told him. She then gave him a knowing look. "Of course, you'll be there to help him through it."

Makoto chuckled sheepishly at this. "That obvious, huh?"

"You're far too caring to your classmates, even Byakuya, to not do anything." Kyoko responded with a smirk.

That gain another chuckle from the luckster. "Yeah, I plan to visit him." He confirmed. "But later. I'm gonna go talk to Chihiro first. See if he's okay. Same with Mondo and Taka."

"Alright, then. I'll be in my room, looking at the new information given to us." The two then continued to walk in their usual comfortable silence, heading to their individual destinations.

(With Mondo)

Ever since he took control of the gang, he had always tried to convince himself that he's strong. He kept telling himself that he earned his spot, that he's enough to lead the gang, that he's as strong as Daiya. Every time he felt that he didn't deserve to lead, he kept telling himself otherwise.

But deep inside, he knew that he was weak. And even now, he's as weak as he was before.

The Ultimate Biker Gang Leader is sitting on his bed, hunched over with his hands together as if he was in deep thought. However, what went on inside his mind ran contrary to his outward appearance. Heavy amounts of guilt, self-loathing, anger, and frustration was swirling like a storm inside.

A part of him couldn't believe that he killed Chihiro. That part of him didn't want to believe it, that it wasn't real, that this was just a goddamn nightmare or a sick joke Hope's Peak decided to pull on them.

But he ain't stupid, at least, not that stupid, and he definitely didn't consider himself a coward. He knew everything they saw was their future, and that he would kill Chihiro out of blind anger from jealousy.

"You idiot…" Mondo said to himself, gritting his teeth. What on earth would his friends in the gang say to him if they saw that? What would his brother say if he saw that? What would they even think of him?

And he could only imagine what Chihiro and Taka is feeling right now. The two of them had so much faith him, believed that he wasn't the blackened of that shitty trial. But now, that faith was all for nothing. He grinded their expectations into the dirt. Though the weeks that followed Daiya's incident came close, Mondo has never felt more shitty in his entire life than he did now.

"You fucking idiot!" With that shout, he punched the wall close to him, causing a crack. "You! Goddamn! Good-For-Nothing... Idiot!" With each word he spat on himself, he punched the wall harder and harder, creating more cracks.

"Why am I so fucking weak?!" With one last roar, he punched a hole in the wall. Though just as fast as he made the hole, the wall quickly patched itself back up as if it had not received any damage at all. Mondo wore an angry scowl on his face as he stared at the wall that seemed to be taunting him, but managed to refrain himself from further letting loose.

When will he ever control this damn temper? He had been told time and time again that it would get him in trouble. Sakura even pointed it out yesterday that he needed to control his anger. And in the future, that temper was the death of a far better person than he is.

"Hey, Mondo?" At the sound of Makoto's voice, Mondo looked at the door. "Are you okay?"

"What the hell do you think, Makoto?" Was Mondo's gruff response. If he knew the luckster, he's probably wincing right now.

"Yeah, sorry. Bad question." He said guiltily. "Can I come in and talk?"

Mondo let out a sigh before sitting back down on the bed, completely dissatisfied that his attempts to cool off didn't work. "It's unlocked." He said, loud enough for his voice to carry through the door. As the luckster came in, he noticed the redness on Mondo's knuckles. He inwardly sighed, but wisely decided not to comment on it. That aside, it's obvious Mondo unleashed his emotion on the poor wall judging by the heat in the room already.

Mondo sat back on his bed while Makoto merely stood where he was at. There was a moment of awkward silence between the two before it got to Mondo.

"Look, take a seat alright? I'm not gonna - Just sit your ass down. You're making this difficult." The biker said in slight annoyance, pointing to the chair by his desk. Although normally Makoto might've been a bit intimidated by his harsh words, he calmly obliged and sat down facing the biker. After visually confirming that Mondo was willing to listen, Makoto started with a sigh.

"Umm...I'm not gonna justify what your future self did, Mondo." Makoto began, getting straight to the point. With Mondo, there's no need to beat around the bushes as he hates that sort of thing. "There's nothing to justify. But you can't let what you saw, let that guilt, consume you."

Mondo gritted his teeth. "I killed somebody, Makoto, in cold blood! I killed _Chihiro_ , in cold blood! How the fuck can I just push that way, like it was nothing?!" Though both of his hands were on his thighs, the sight of Mondo clenching his fists still sent a small sense of fear towards Makoto. However, now wasn't the time to back down.

"You didn't kill him in cold blood!" Makoto refuted. "It was clear that you felt guilty about, both you and your future self! It was clear that you only reacted out of stress, anger, and jealousy! You didn't plan on killing Chihiro nor did you have the right state of mind to make that decision!"

"Does that even make it any less wrong?" Mondo shot back in a low angry voice. Flames of guilt were reflected in his narrowed eyes that he directed at Makoto, daring him to convince him that he was wrong.

"Well...No." Makoto admitted as he looked to the side, feeling a little defeated and upset that he can't justify what Mondo has done. Mondo, seeing this as a gesture of defeat, crossed his arms as if to say 'Then this discussion is over.'. However, just as he was about to voice his actual words, Makoto straightened himself up and kept going.

"It doesn't. But that's besides the point here. And I'm not just talking about Chihiro either. I'm also talking about Daiya."

Mondo visibly and angrily recoiled from that, not expecting his brother to be brought up. "What the hell do you mean?"

"I'm saying that Daiya's death wasn't your fault." Makoto answered, pressing on. "You didn't kill him."

Makoto's unexpected attack caused Mondo to waver for a second. Pain and guilt flickered across the biker's face for the briefest moment before he caught himself and maintained his posture. "I did." He croaked, his body slightly shaking but he managed to control his voice. "If I wasn't so strung up on winning, he wouldn't have to do that. I wouldn't have put myself in that stupid spot, and he wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself for me. Can't you see that I fucking caused all this?" In the midst of his rebuttal, Mondo had stood up, unable to keep still while sitting down. The flames in his eyes flickered in conflict as he looked down onto Makoto.

"It was his choice to save you, Mondo." Makoto argued in response, neither retreating from the overwhelming aura of the biker or breaking eye contact from his visibly inferior position. "It was his choice to give his life for yours. That's what any older sibling would do." Makoto said the last part earnestly. Although Mondo's aura would have normally hammered him away by now, the fact that Makoto was still able to sit calmly and give his response reflected the truth and conviction behind those words. He knew that if Komaru was in any danger, he would give his life to get her out of it.

Mondo remained silent to Makoto's response. Though he appeared to be unmoved externally, he was internally bewildered for multiple reasons. First was the fact that any normal person would've crumbled into fear if they were in Makoto's position. Mondo was well aware of how he was presenting himself, and if his visual appearance wasn't intimidating enough, his aura around him that made him famous as the leader of the Crazy Diamonds sure was. Second reason was the words that Makoto had spoke in response to him. It seemed like a cheap shot since it completely disregarded his own actions, but at the same time, Mondo couldn't bring himself to deny it.

Finally, Mondo just couldn't bring himself to act. The look in Makoto's eyes carried a completely different kind of strength that Mondo himself lacked. Makoto may be physically overwhelmed, but in this unspoken tug-of-war between the biker and the luckster, Makoto clearly proved himself to be more than a match for the biker. As Mondo looked into his eyes, he couldn't help but think of the same look Chihiro had on screen just before his death. Was he doing this on purpose? He quickly searched for signs of an act or a mask put up by Makoto, but the earnest look that reflected back towards him said otherwise. In the end, Mondo could only wait for him to continue.

Seeing Mondo not refuting anything, Makoto pressed on. "You want to be as strong as Daiya, right? To be as strong as Chihiro? To be the person that Chihiro admires?" He asked, driving his point home.

Though these were things Mondo would never admit openly, he could only silently nod his head in this situation. "Then you have to move on. Accept what has happened and face the future." Makoto said. "You have no problems confronting problems physically, but you need to confront them mentally as well. Being strong isn't only in the sense of physical strength, and I'm sure you're well aware of that." As Makoto delivered his words, he was careful not to raise his voice to beat on Mondo's battered spirit, but kept enough of his feelings behind his words to pass the sincerity behind them.

"You still have time improve yourself, to avoid something like that from ever happening, and to be as strong as you want to be. You just need to keep moving forward."

Any sense of intimidation or presence of the overwhelming aura Mondo had possessed just a moment ago had all but disappeared when Makoto pointed out the source of his problems. Everything Makoto said had hit home so hard, he could only stand there in silence.

"I'll give you some time to think about this." With that, Makoto stood up and turned to leave. However, just as he reached the door, he turned back to Mondo to say one more thing. "By the way, find the time to talk to Chihiro about this. Don't try to avoid each other, please." With that, he left the room.

Even as Makoto left the room, Mondo still found himself in a daze as he stood facing the empty chair. For the second time in his life, Mondo had lost in spirit to another person, first losing to his own brother. He tried to make sense of what kind of strength Makoto had that kept him together. He tried to make sense of what kind of strength Chihiro had to overcome his obstacles. As Mondo kept his downward gaze towards the empty chair, he saw for the briefest moment, a flash of Chihiro smiling up towards him. As the image faded from his sight, the only sound that echoed in the room was the tightening of one's fists.

(With Makoto)

' _I hope I could help out the two of them.'_ Makoto thought to himself as he walked down the hallway and towards the stairs leading to the lower floor. He really doesn't want any tension or awkwardness to continue between the two, like with Leon and Sayaka before. He winced at the thought of remembering the pains brought onto him from the previous chapter.

As he head downstairs to the recreational room, hoping to keep his mind off of chapter 2 for the time being, he found himself face to face with Mukuro who was ascending the stairs.

"Makoto." Mukuro said, slightly startled, before regaining her composure. "I was just looking for you."

"Do you need something?" Makoto asked with slight concern.

In response, Mukuro shook her head. "No, I'm alright. I was just performing a routine check on the mental welfare of everyone's mindset. The last chapter was quite provoking."

Makoto grimaced at the reminder. "Yeah, it was." He agreed. "But I'll be okay. I'm more worried about some of the others, like Mondo and Chihiro."

"I presume you have spoken with them already?" Mukuro guessed, to which the luckster nodded.

"I did. They were both pretty down when I first saw them." He sighed. "I hope my words helped them somehow. I don't want any tension or awkwardness between them."

"Knowing you, I'm sure your methods would be far more effective than mine. If you have spoken to them already, then there's no need for me to check up on them." Mukuro said, with a bit of confidence in her voice. She knew that Makoto had this ability to make anyone feel better and brighten their mood whenever they're down. It's one more thing she loves and admired about him.

Makoto smiled at the compliment, making Mukuro blush and just slightly, return a small smile. "Thanks, Mukuro. You should take it easy and get some rest as well. Don't neglect yourself ok?"

"Ah, I'll be sure to do that." Mukuro curtly replied. With that, they exchanged farewells for the night and Makoto continued on his way downstairs, leaving Mukuro to watch his retreating figure until Makoto disappeared around a corner.

As he left, Mukuro watched him with conflicted eyes. Another opportunity had just passed by her to confess her eventual crimes. Even though she had actively sought him out and worked up the resolve to do so, she couldn't bring it up when the moment happened. It was quite vexing to ultimately decide on something, but not being able to carry it out in the end.

' _What should I do?'_ Mukuro thought to herself. ' _Can I reveal who I really am?'_ The thought of revealing herself to Makoto terrified her. She doesn't know how he would react, how he would take it. How would he view her? And, most importantly, what would Junko do if she finds out Mukuro had confessed?

She sighed to herself as she walked up the stairs to her room, upset with herself that yet again, she couldn't bring herself to action. The only comforting thought that lingered in her mind was that this hesitation wasn't made on a battlefield, but even still, for some reason, she would prefer that hesitation to this one.

(With Taka)

After witnessing the events of chapter 2, Taka's legs had carried him to the recreational room, specifically, towards one of the tables isolated from the others. He sat there with both elbows on the table, and both hands connected to his forehead as if in a prayer. Though it was a rare occurrence for him to space out, that was exactly what he was doing. Unable to accept the reality of the events that occurred, nor able to face his closest friend that he called a brother, his fists slammed onto the table in empty disappointment and frustration.

Ever since their match in the sauna, the two of them had been the closest friends. He's been one of the first friends he had ever made, and since that day, their bond hasn't diminished in the slightest. It was at a point where Taka could even call him a brother. After witnessing the events that occurred however, Taka began to doubt the very chains of friendship that bound the two together. In addition to the question of character, watching Mondo's death right in front of him further drove Taka into the void as he struggled to come to terms with it.

However, being the person he is, Taka also didn't let himself leave his sight of righteousness. He has always been proactive when it came methods of prevention, so why did such things happen under his watch? If only he was there, he could've stopped Mondo from striking Chihiro. If only he paid more attention to the nature of the secrets, he could have devised a plan to safeguard everyone. If only he had been more proactive, Mondo and Chihiro could have lived.

Taka stared at the space between his two fists, his knuckles white from the strength he's put into it, and if he hadn't cut his nails, his palms would both be bleeding. A look of apathy that resulted from emotions exceeding his spiritual limit was reflected on the glossy finish of the table. Hollow eyes stared into each other as the myriad of conflicts stirred within him. Because of this, he failed to hear the foot steps of an approaching person nor the calls that were directed to him until said person was next to him.

"Taka?" The moral compass suddenly snapped out of his stupor and looked up to see Makoto staring at him in concern. "That was some heavy stuff wasn't it?"

It took a moment for the question to register as the bewilderment within Taka died down. After finally acknowledging the question, Taka could only look down at his reflection on the table. "Ah. You could say that." Taka said, his voice soft and holding little emotion. "Honestly, I can't feel anything right now. I'm not sure if I want to." He subconsciously continued.

Makoto took a quick look around the room before taking the seat opposite of Taka. The table they were at was also a booth designed for pairs to sit across from each other, or at most, four people at the table. Seeing that there's a division between the booths, he had no worries about other people interrupting.

"I'm all ears if you want to talk about it." Makoto offered as he sat down and patiently waited.

At first, Taka stayed silent, never lifting his gaze from his reflection. But after several seconds passed, he spoke. "Could…could have I done anything?" He asked Makoto, starting with the root of his concerns. Though he asked this question, Taka wasn't sure if he wanted an actual answer, or if he was looking for reassurance and sympathy. Regardless, he felt that he needed a response. "Could I have stopped Mondo from…doing what he did?"

In response, Makoto shook his head. "You couldn't have possibly known that would've happened, Taka." He told the moral compass. "There wasn't any way that any of us could predict that Mondo would killed somebody, let alone Chihiro."

"But, maybe if I had known what secret Mondo was holding, future me could've seen that he might murder." Taka persisted. Somewhere inside of him, he knew this was meaningless, but still, something compelled him to resist. "If I had just an inkling-"

"I doubt Mondo would have told you, even if you suspected how bad his secret was." Makoto gently argued back, careful not to break his spirit. "And even if you did know what his secret was at the time, it wasn't like Mondo was planning on murdering anybody. There wasn't anyway you could've stopped him Taka. Knowing you, you would abide by the nighttime rule as if it was any other rule in the school, so unless you had a good reason to visit the gym at night, it was beyond you."

Taka fell silent at Makoto's refutation. It was both a combination of that he had no response to it, and that Makoto was correct in every aspect of his words. The crime was committed during nighttime, and everyone had supposedly agreed not to leave their rooms at night. Though it only upset him more knowing that he could've done nothing about it, he couldn't refute the points even if he wanted to.

Mentally conceding that point, Taka looked up from his reflection and asked a different question. "Do…do you think Chihiro would hate Mondo for what he did?" For the first time since leaving the theatre room, Taka's look of apathy had been replaced with anxiety and concern. "Would he hate me for not stopping him?"

Makoto's eyes widened at the absurdity of the question before immediately answering. "No! Chihiro would never hate you for that reason." Makoto told him. "And he wouldn't blame you for what you couldn't control Taka, you know that! That' not the type of person he is! Hell, I'm sure that he hasn't even considered that!"

"I know, but…I just can't help but think that…" Taka grounded out through his teeth. His strong sense of responsibility couldn't let go of the vexing feeling of helplessly watching from the sidelines. It was frustrating that he can't help but feel that he needs to take responsibility for something, yet there was no fault that was his.

Makoto sighed as he noticed the conflict within Taka that was now written all over his face. "If you feel so strongly about it, the three of you should talk just talk it out then." He advised him. Since he was sure Mondo would talk to Chihiro soon, it'd be more productive if the three of them can reconcile together rather than the three of them individually.

"Are you sure that's the right course?" Taka asked, feeling hesitant about the idea. As one who has been both admired and scrutinized by his peers, he was no stranger to the notion of 'bad blood', but this may be the first time he had to confront it. "You sure it won't make the situation any worse?"

"I'm sure it won't, Taka." Makoto reassured him. "Beside, you're the Ultimate Moral Compass, right? Look at it objectively, what do you think is the best course of action when three friends are in discord with each other?"

Taka thought about the question. What would he think the best course of action would be? "It…it would be to reconcile together... like you said..." Taka answered, a little bit of confidence working into his tone. After all, the worst case scenario is avoidance and assuming the worst. If something can be worked out together, then that should be the best course of action.

"Yep. That's it, Taka." Makoto agreed. "So, will you talk to them?"

"When.. When I get the chance... I will." Taka confirmed. "Just, I would like some time to myself for now." Right now, he's far from his exuberant self right now. He'll need some of that confidence if he's going to talk to the two.

"I'm glad to hear, Taka." Makoto then got up from his seat. "Don't take this too hard."

"Ah. You too Makoto." Taka said, waving to the retreating figure of Makoto.

As the luckster left, Taka couldn't help but renew his sense of respect towards him. ' _Has he been checking up on everyone else too?'_ Truly, Makoto had outdone him as the class representative. Just as Makoto had brought him out of his self loathing, he's sure that the lucky student had been doing the same to everyone else.

' _In that case... I can't afford to be like this as well.'_

Pressing his palm onto the table to push himself up, Taka made his way up the stairs with renewed determination.

(With Kyoko)

Kyoko sat in her dimly lit room at her desk recording everything relevant down into her notebook. Although the dim lights weren't too healthy for her eyesight, that was hardly the concern compared to the mysteries that currently occupied the detective's mind.

With the second chapter, they managed to get a couple of more pieces of the puzzle, but they were still far from the overall picture. Over a year's worth of memory, possibly two, was erased; her memories of being a detective was also wiped; the mastermind has a frightening amount of information on all of them; something is happening outside of the old school building; and now there's an sixteenth student somewhere..

But unfortunately, just like a puzzle with incomplete pieces, none of the information is brought her closer to finding the truth. In addition, the chapter only brought more questions than answers. What exactly is happening outside of Hope's Peak? How is there no help yet? How did the mastermind get all that information on them? What was her secret? Who's working for the mastermind?

Kyoko only rubbed her head in mild frustration as several more questions were brought up, and very few answers were given to them. This also didn't even touch on the fact that none of the information even hinted to figuring out who's the mastermind.

' _At the very least, I can't call it a total loss. There were some gains, no matter how minor'_ Kyoko sighed. That's something, at least.

One of those gains was the strengthening on the theory that there were defenses outside of the old school building, and that there were people trying to break through to them. If Monokuma's words rang true, and what Hiro heard was an explosion, then that the theory is no longer groundless.

" _That aside, there is something else I should give my attention to that's far more pressing..."_

Kyoko then thought about the identity of the sixteenth student. Considering Monokuma's word, they could be a valuable ally or just a chess piece in Monokuma's sick game. Either way, it would be bad if he utilized the chess piece. In terms of names, the only one that comes to mind is "Junko Enoshima". After all, she's the only one who's not present in the killing game currently. Furthermore, not only is she a part of their class, but she knows all of them. Junko may seem very whimsical, but Kyoko can't deny that there is a very intellectual side to her.

But as with everything else, unless there's undeniable evidence that Junko is the 16th student, Kyoko couldn't say for sure due to several reasons. For one, she can't be sure that they all shared their personal information with each other in that timeline, and it also doesn't explain why Mukuro disguise herself as Junko. In addition, because the possibility of Junko being the 16th student is based on that she isn't there, Kyoko can say the same for any other person that Monokuma just happened to have unfortunately roped into his plans as well.

An even more immediate concern is whoever it was that spoke to Monokuma. Judging from the way they spoke, it must have been one of the remaining survivors, but given what they saw, she can only scratch Makoto and herself off the list of possible suspects. There was no way to tell how dangerous the traitor was, or in what way they would be aiding Monokuma, but the fact that she had to suspect one of her fellow classmates did not sit easy with her.

She sighed to herself, stopping all thought processes for the time being. Turning against her classmates now would only serve to bring more trouble than is necessary, and yet it is something that she must do eventually. Regardless, she needed more information before she could get to any kind of conclusion so her course of action was only to wait and watch.

But one thing's for certain: The absence of Junko Enoshima was definitely starting become more suspicious.

(With Makoto)

After talking with Taka, Makoto hung out with Leon and Sayaka, who've made up with one another about the events of chapter one. Makoto is glad the tension between them is gone, and he hoped the same will happen for Mondo, Chihiro, and Taka.

Sakura and Hina joined in soon after, though the latter was less energetic than usual. Though that warranted Makoto's concern, the swimmer eventually waved it off as something not too important.

During their gathering, the conversation started off light, but they inevitably asked about Chihiro, Mondo, and Taka, to which Makoto gave a brief summary of events. Seeing the relief amongst everyone, Sayaka and Leon decided to inform everyone what Mukuro told them: that the butter Monokuma was eating wasn't actually Mondo. The relief everyone had after that finally enabled them to enjoy a light dinner with each other.

After conversing a little bit more with them, Makoto decided to go to his room for the night, seeing that it was going to be late soon. As he walked to his room, he thought about Byakuya. He wondered when it would be the right time to talk to him. Should he try doing so at some point tonight or wait till the morning for the opportunity?

' _It might be best to wait in the morning.'_ He decided. He guessed that Byakuya probably isn't in the mood to talk to anybody right now, so visiting him would only agitate him further. Hopefully in the morning, he would be more willing to listen.

He soon got to his room. When he stepped his foot inside, he heard and felt the crunch of a piece of paper. Looking down, he saw a piece of paper folded in half under his foot. ' _A note?'_ Makoto thought in confusion. ' _Who could it be from?'_ Curious, he took the note from under his foot, and looked inside.

His eyes slowly widened as he read every word on the note, and as he apprehended its meaning, his blood ran cold.

" _Mukuro Ikusaba is a conspirator with the Mastermind."_

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. And it look like Junko is hatching up a scheme. One to break Makoto and push him into despair. What it will be? You'll see. Next will be a bit more of the break before continuing to the next chapter. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Kara no Kyoukai was quite the dark and profound anime, and the OST in tandem with the dark setting really hit home in terms of setting the atmosphere. If you can put up with the sort of stuff in that anime, 10/10 would recommend!**


	43. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 1

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, sorry about being late with this chapter. Was busy with studying for exams, and actually doing said exams, so I couldn't really focus on writing that much. After, I ended up engage in a Total Drama fic, Total Drama Comeback. Both things caused me to delay writing this chapter (With the latter strengthening my urge to write a Total Drama fic). I hope you guys weren't too impatient.**

 **So, on this chapter, we continue on the break, then the beginning of chapter 3 of Danganronpa. I hope you enjoy.**

 **P.S. What would you guys think of me writing a Total Drama fic (After I finish with this fic, and several other fics, naturally)?**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Well it's been a while so I've tried to push this out as fast as possible. I'll keep things short so y'all can get into this. Since Spirit is done with exams, I think everyone can safely assume that we'll return to our usual schedule of about a chapter every 1.5 weeks or so.**

 **Questions!**

 **Q: Can you use the anime as a reference instead of the game for chapters 4 and 5?  
L: I do remember some things about the anime that I liked, and one of those moments for me was Makoto's stand off against Junko in the final episodes. I don't know if Spirit will decide to switch gears now, but I'll put this question up to bring his attention to it.  
S: I'll use the anime from time to time when it feels appropriate, but I'm mostly gonna be using the game. It has more content, and it easier.**

 **Q: Will that peeping scene be happening?  
L: Again, this is Spirit's thing so I don't really have a say in this. If he decides to do it, more work for me. If not, then that's cool.  
S: Since it isn't something Makoto would really do (And it's mainly fan-service), I'll probably not do it. If it does happen, it'll probably be because Hifumi and Hiro drag him into it.**

Chapter 42: Watching Ch 3: A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero! Part 1

It's been half an hour since Makoto read the note, and aside from sitting down on his bed, he has yet to move an inch. With a difficult expression on his face, he didn't know how to take this note. If Makoto was under any other normal circumstances, he probably would have put this aside as a sick joke. But with how heavy the current situation was, and no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't simply brush this aside.

Makoto couldn't believe that Mukuro is conspiring with the mastermind. It simply didn't fit in his logic. It was as if someone was trying to convince him that "one plus one equals three"; it just wasn't possible. There were so many things about this that didn't make sense. If she was a conspirator, why did Monokuma kill her like that? Why would he get rid of an insider that could have very likely influenced the killing game? And he had no doubt that the future Mukuro was killed. As morbid as it was, there was no faking that kind of death.

In addition, she's of Makoto's closer friends. He understands that despite her cold and mechanical attitude to most people, she has good intentions. She proved that several times, including a few hours ago. She wouldn't wish for the deaths of her classmates.

But if that's the case, why did someone write and gave him this note? How did they come to this conclusion? More importantly, who? Makoto couldn't think of any of his friends that would write something like this as a joke, and his more serious friends, such as Kyoko or Byakuya, would tell him face to face rather than an ominous note. Going by process of elimination, does this mean that Spirit wrote it?

Makoto bit his lip, the anguish growing. If it was Spirit that wrote it…then it very much implies that everything in this letter is true. But did he? Spirit has made a case that he would only intervene if things got out of hand, but he also didn't mention anything about dropping hints to them. The biggest problem was that Makoto couldn't determine whether this note was real or fake, even though his intuition is telling him that its likely real.

' _Why are you doubting her Makoto?'_ His mind shouted to himself. ' _Mukuro is one of your closest friends! She wouldn't be involved in something like this!'_

' _You thought the same for Sayaka…'_ Another voice refuted the other in his head. ' _You didn't even think that she would try to frame you for murder. But yet we saw it happen. What's to say Mukuro isn't the same way?'_

Makoto let out a frustrated cry as he fell back onto his bed and rolled around in frustration. What should he do? What's the best option here? Should he just ignore the note? Tell somebody about it?

What should he do?

(With Taka)

After his talk with Makoto, the Ultimate Moral Compass had gone back up to his room. He had planned on talking with Chihiro and Mondo about the future events they had witnessed, and he wants to be mentally prepared for this. After all, if he's going to talk with them, he'll need as much of his confidence as he could muster.

Now, he's at Mondo door ready to talk to his friend. He proceeded to knock on the door, but paused just before his knuckles hit the wooden frame. Is this truly the right time? Shouldn't he wait for a good moment to talk to him about this?

Taka shook his head, shaking off that thought. No, they need to talk about this now. There isn't any good time to talk about this, and delaying it further would merely hurt him, Chihiro, and Mondo in the process. He could not delay any further.

With that firmly in his head, he knocked on the door. "Mondo?" Taka called out. "It's me - Taka." He then waited, putting on a serious expression and subconsciously held his breath awaiting his answer. After a moment of waiting, Taka released his breath as the door opened, revealing a worn out Mondo just behind it.

"Bro?" He said in slight surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk, Mondo." Taka told him, not beating around the bush. "About...that."

Mondo tensed up a little at this, but made no immediate reaction. He avoided eye contact as he turned his face to the side and came up with an excuse. "Makoto already talked with m-"

"But WE need to talk." Taka interrupted, not letting Mondo skip out of the this. "Chihiro as well. We can't postpone this any longer. Delaying will only cause us to assume the worse out of what we're thinking."

Again, Mondo remained silent for a moment as he gauged Taka's urge to talk. He's already tired from his own session of depression as well as mulling over what Makoto talked to him about, but remembering the last part of talking with Makoto and recognizing that Taka is right, Mondo sighed. "Alright. Have it your way, bro." He conceded. "So, are we going to get Chihiro?"

"Umm... I'm here." The two guys turned to see the programmer a few feet away from them, fidgeting slightly. "And uh.. if we're gonna talk, there's a private room Spirit introduce me to."

"He showed you a private room?" Taka asked curiously. "When?"

"After I got out of my own room. I asked him if there were any private rooms to talk and he said that was a good idea and he uh... made one." Chihiro answered. "So…how about we talk there?"

"That'll probably be smart." Mondo commented, looking at his room. Although by Mondo's standards it was acceptable, it was clearly still a mess. "These ain't fucking big enough for more than two people."

As Mondo turned back to look at his room, Taka was about to berate him for it until he reminded himself that that wasn't a priority. Mentally making a note of it, he turned to Chihiro instead. "Alright Chihiro, lead the way." With that, the moral compass and biker followed the programmer to the private room.

(A few minutes later)

It didn't take them too long to get there, but it still took a bit of time. The private room Chihiro was told about was located in the living room, away from the entrance to the recreational room. The room was large, large enough to fit sixteen or seventeen people inside. A long table was in the room, with several chairs around it, though there was still plenty of space inside. Although it was a private room, it clearly was tailored to be a large meeting room rather than a smaller private booth that they were all expecting. As they walked in, Chihiro made a mental note to himself to be more specific next time.

As they finally decided on a spot along the large table and sat down, they realized that none of them really knew how to start this conversation. Even Taka, who was determined to get this out of the way, had no idea what to say. How could he even began this conversation? How can he ask the questions that plague his mind?

Finally, it was Mondo, who was getting annoyed at the awkward, that forced himself to speak. Slamming his fist on the table, which helped alleviate the awkward tension as well as getting rid of his irritation, he began. "Look. Chihiro, Taka. I'm not gonna justify what I did. Not gonna make any shitty excuses, minimize what we saw, none of that shit. The only I can say…is that I'm sorry."

Mondo gritted his teeth and bowed his head, his signature hairstyle flopped onto the table as he did. "What I did to you was fucked up, Chihiro. I let petty jealousy and my goddamn temper get the best of me, and you ended up paying the price. An goddamn apology isn't good enough for it, but it's the best I could do right now."

"You don't have to apologize Mondo." Chihiro protested. "It was your future self that did it, not you. And it was partly my fault too. If I didn't provoke you-"

"Don't." Mondo interrupted sharply, drawing a scared flinch from Chihiro. The biker softened some at the site of flinch, mentally scolding himself for scaring the programmer like that. He spoke again, softer this time. "Don't blame yourself Chihiro. You did nothing wrong. It was my own delusions that led me to what happened. You trusted me, and I was the one to break that trust. You couldn't have known what I was feeling."

"Then.…why?" Chihiro asked him, moving onto the next point. With how resolute Mondo was in his answer, there was no reason to keep exchanging apologies and taking responsibility so he left it for now and moved onto the other thing Chihiro wanted to know. "Why would you be jealous of me? What's there to be jealous of?" Honestly, he knows the answer now as he saw it in the flashbacks and Makoto clearly told him. But he still asked because either that he still didn't believe it, or he wanted to hear it out of Mondo's mouth.

Mondo made a face as if someone asked him a really obvious question. "You're joking, right?" He asked the petite programmer. Although his expression would have easily came off as condescending for asking such an obvious question, his voice carried a completely different intention. "It's because your strong, Chihiro. Stronger than I could ever be. And I'm not talking about fucking muscles. I'm talking about actual bravery and courage."

"You…you really think that I'm strong?" Chihiro asked quietly, various emotions playing in his eyes.

Mondo made a small nod. "Look, its embarrassing for me to say it, but you get what I mean. If you weren't strong, you wouldn't have had the drive to come out like that." He answered in a flustered voice. It was hard to be completely direct so he left it as that.

"I agree with Mondo." Taka added in, in his completely serious voice that contrasted Mondo's flustered response just now. "And if you ask any of our classmates, they would agree as well. We all saw the strength you have, Chihiro. You've clearly saw it yourself. There's no doubt about it. You're clearly a strong-willed individual."

Chihiro was silent, taking in those words. Though he had trouble believing it earlier, hearing both Mondo and Taka personally deliver those words to him made Chihiro truly believe that he was strong. And in the end, his feelings haven't changed in the slightest. Chihiro still saw Mondo as strong, and Taka as righteous. If his two role models said that he was strong, then its quite hard to not believe it. Chihiro, feeling completely convinced, came to a conclusion on the spot.

"I-If the two of you really think I'm strong…then I'll try to be." He responded. Even though his voice was a little on the weak side, Chihiro's determined expression didn't betray his intent. "I'll be braver about revealing my secret. Even if people says I'm weak for a boy, I'll be okay. I'll be better!"

Taka and Mondo both smiled at Chihiro's resolution. Mondo, however, couldn't help but feel a bit envious of Chihiro. It's clear that the little guy has the strength he convinced himself he had and so desperately craved.

"And Mondo?" Chihiro continued, directing his attention to the biker. "Can you still help me get physically stronger?"

Mondo almost fell off his chair from reacting to those words. "The hell?" He cursed in shock as soon as he regained his footing. "You mean you still want me to help you out? Even after the shit we saw?"

Chihiro timidly nodded. "I can't really say that I have forgotten everything that had happened." The programmer bit his lip, memory of seeing the future Mondo killing his future self flashing in his mind. "It…it's still scary, thinking that you would kill me." Mondo winced at that.

"But…even so, I believe that I can trust you." Chihiro told him earnestly. "It's clear that you didn't plan on killing me. And you're aware of it too so it won't happen again right? Right! I can't keep growing like this so I'm not gonna let myself be afraid!"

Mondo was completely speechless at the display from Chihiro. It was already surprising enough that Chihiro still wanted to change himself, but he didn't expect himself to be forgiven like that either.

"I agree with Chihiro." Taka spoke up, causing the biker to snap his head towards his friend in surprise. "I can not say that I was not disappointed in what you have done in the future, but as of now, that's only a possibility. I'm sure if we take steps to avoid it, we can prevent that from happening. Therefore as a friend, you're going to have a lot of hard work coming at you." He finished with a smile.

Tears began forming in Mondo's eyes, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the loyalty his two friends are showing. But he stubbornly refused to let any of them fall. If there was any sense of pride left in him in this moment, he managed to preserve it by not crying. "Thank you." He told them, his voice full of sincerity. "I promise, I'll do my damn best not to let you down."

Taka smiled brightly at this. Mondo doesn't make promises lightly and when he does make them, he does his best to keep them. In addition to their already existing friendship, they saw it again in chapter 2, when Mondo tried to hide that Chihiro was a boy, even after he killed them.

However, a question that had plagued Taka entered his mind once more, making the positive mood he's feeling dim a little. So, knowing it won't go away if he doesn't ask now, he spoke once again. "And Chihiro, there's something I would like to ask you." He hesitantly turned to the smaller boy. "Do…do you blame me for what Mondo did?"

His unexpected question took the both of them off guard. "Wait, what?" Mondo asked in disbelief. "How could it be your fault?"

"I just…felt like my future self could have stopped you." Taka said, his anxiety rising back up. "Maybe if I had insisted on all of us revealing our secrets, or suspected how bad your secret really was-"

"Bro, stop it." Mondo interrupted firmly. "If I'm not gonna let Chihiro take the blame for what I did, I'm not gonna let you do it either. There was no way in hell you could've found what I was thinking, and there was no use trying to get everyone to reveal their secret. I know we talked about this, but even I think that's a bad idea."

"And I would never blame you, Taka!" Chihiro added in. "You haven't done anything that would cause this!"

"I know, but…" Taka clenched his fist, turning away from the both of them. "My lack of action should be considered negligence. I must have been able to do something!"

Chihiro bit his lip. He can see that this is affecting Taka, that seeing his future self experience this from the sidelines is frustrating for him. Taking a deep breath, he spoke. "We can't blame each other." Chihiro told him, gathering up his courage. "And can't blame ourselves either. Like Makoto said, the only person to blame for this is the mastermind. If it weren't for that, none of us would be here."

Taka looked at him, knowing that he was right. However, he remained silent because he couldn't find any words to continue his own point. "I know you feel useless after seeing the trial." The programmer continued. "But you have a chance to do something now. We all do."

"Chihiro right." Mondo agreed, crossing his arms. "We can find out how the hell we got in this mess, who the fucking mastermind is, and find out where the hell he's hiding, so we can kick his ass!"

"And we can all do it, together." Chihiro finished, staring right at Taka.

Taka look at both of his friends, taking in those words. Finally, a determine look entered his eyes. "You're right." He said, the passion in his voice finally coming back. "I can't keep holding on to what could possibly happen and what I could've done about it. We have this chance to stop this from ever happening." And he's gonna take that chance. There's no way he will let what they saw come to pass.

He will make sure Chihiro and Mondo survives. That his best friend doesn't become a murderer.

(Morning)

Yesterday passed fairly quickly for the group and morning soon came after. Some managed to get a good night rest while others remained restless.

Taka, Sayaka, and Sakura were the first ones up, and eating breakfast in the living room. Some of the others slowly trickled in while there were some exceptions who stayed upstairs.

One such person was Makoto. The lucky student was standing outside of Mukuro's room, fidgeting slightly. He knew she was an early riser so he had woken up exceptionally early for this, but not he found himself both a bit tired and unsure of what to do. Feeling the nervousness slowly take over him, he clenched his empty fist in an attempt to soothe it.

After much thinking last night, he decided it would be best to give her the note. While he doesn't plan to confront her about it right now, he feels that she needs to at least know the accusation made against her, regardless of whether or not it's true.

Plus, it'll let him see her initial reaction.

' _Come on, Makoto, you need to do this.'_ He thought to himself, taking a deep breath. ' _Don't back away from this now.'_

Gathering up his courage, he knocked on the door. After a moment of waiting, the door opened with a surprised Mukuro. "Makoto?" The soldier said in curiosity. "Is there something you need?"

Makoto opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Seeing that his unusual hesitation as well as the difficult expression on his face, Mukuro decided to take the initiative. "What's wrong?"

"Someone gave me this note yesterday." Makoto finally said, extending his arm and offering the folded piece of paper. "They slid it into my room. And…it's about you."

Mukuro slightly tilted her head in confusion as she looked at the note. "What do you mean it's about me?" She asked slowly, not letting herself stutter.

"It would probably be better if you read yourself." Makoto said, which prompted Mukuto to slowly take the note from his hand.

Although the reaction lasted less than a second, Makoto didn't miss it. Mukuro was extremely adept at controlling her emotions so it took a while for Makoto to recognize the rare signs of emotional changes from her. This time, he did not miss the slight widening of the pupils, the barest twitch on the shoulders, and the split second silent gasp that Mukuro had. Makoto internally grimaced as her reaction had a high chance of confirming his thoughts last night.

On the other hand, Mukuro was completely caught off guard for a split second. Although she had a strong suspicion that it was her sister, she couldn't confirm it without confronting her about it. Furthermore, her spirit took a heavy hit because of all people this note went to, it was Makoto. She had intended for herself to approach him about this topic instead of the other way around. It also didn't help that she had to think of something to say to him as well, but no words managed to come to mind.

Before she could stammer anything out however, Makoto suddenly gave her a lifeline. "We'll talk about it later," He told her, snapping Mukuro out of her internal strife. "Like after the next chapter or something. I…don't think I'm ready to talk about it right now. But I thought you should see this." He deliberately left out the part where it was still a possibility that this was a sick joke because of her reaction earlier. His honest nature didn't allow him to simply leave that alone.

However, just before he turned to leave, he had one more thing to say. "However, I do believe in you. And I hope that this is wrong." He concluded. And with that, he went on his way to the living room.

Mukuro wanted to call out and stop him. She felt that she needed to do something right then and there, whether to tell him the truth or to lie, anything. But nothing came out of her mouth and she could only stand there to watch Makoto disappear around the corner. Looking down at the note again to confirm its contents and that she hadn't misread it earlier, she furrowed her brows as even more emotions welled up inside. After a moment, she stepped back into her room and closed the door, not wanting anyone to see her rattled. Just like Makoto, she wasn't ready to talk about this either.

Meanwhile, as Makoto walked away, he let out a breath. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do or the right time to do it, but at least he got that over with.

Just as he passed by Byakua's room however, the door opened and Byakuya came out. "Byakuya." Makoto said, slightly startled. He quickly shook off his surprise. "Um, good morning. How are you feeling?"

The heir crossed his arm. "Just fine." Was his short reply. "Let's not waste time with idle chit chat. We still have plenty of our future to see."

"Um, okay," Makoto replied back. A part of him want to talk to him about his future self, but honestly, what could he say? Byakuya isn't one to open up, and trying to make him do so would leave very little results. At the very least, he's still willing to go down and watch the rest with everyone so that's good enough for him.

In the end, Makoto stayed silent and walked behind Byakuya to the living room. As he did, he took a couple of deep breaths, trying push back any emotions he's feeling about his new knowledge. If Kyoko or Celeste saw him, they would try to interrogate as to what's wrong, and he would rather not reveal Mukuro's involvement. At least not yet.

As the two entered the living, Byakuya went over to his recliner while Makoto went over to the couch he usually sits at. There, he saw Kyoko, Leon, and Sayaka already sitting there. Sayaka, as usual, was the first to greet him. "Morning Makoto."

"What took you so long, dude?" Leon asked, raising an eyebrow.

In response, he chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Didn't have a good sleep." He replied honestly. While he didn't lie, he also didn't tell them everything either. It was true that he had to wake up extra early to talk to Mukuro alone so at the very least, his response was convincing. Seeing that they didn't question further, he went to grab some food for breakfast. The lack of people however, prompted Makoto to look around the room. He noticed that Byakuya, Kyoko, Sayaka, Leon, Junko, Sakura, and Taka are the only ones here. He guess the others are still getting ready, or sleeping in a little.

However, they didn't take long to get here,with Toko being the first. "W-What happened?" She asked nervously. "L-Last I remember, I-I-I saw…G-Genocide's Jack c-calling card."

As a few of the students explained to her what she missed, Celeste came in, looking tranquil as usual. Hina, Hiro, and Hifumi was next, the swimming pro still looking a bit tired, as well as anxious, while Hiro and Hifumi looked plain nervous.

Mukuro was the next one to come downstairs, grabbing some food before sitting on the recliner beside Junko per usual. However, her actions were a little bit less mechanical than usual. As she sat down, she looked over at Makoto trying to figure out what he was thinking. Mukuro didn't look too long however, as she wasn't sure how to approach the problem as well. In the end, she resigned to the current situation instead.

Mondo was the second to last to join them. "Morning dude," Leon greeted, with the others giving their greeting as well. "You ok?"

"No. It feels like shit," Mondo snorted. "Now I know how you felt."

"Yeah. Pretty shitty." Leon replied, remembering the feeling as well.

After the short exchange, Mondo moved to sit down with Taka. His best friend waved at him with slightly concerned eyes, but he waved him off. "So we're waiting for Chihiro, right?" He asked the others.

"Yeah." Hina frowned in concern. "I wonder what's taking him so long. He usually one of the people here early."

"Considering what we saw yesterday, I can't really blame him." Leon remarked. "Still, think we should go get him?"

"N-No need. I'm here."

At the sound of his voice, everyone turned to the stairs. And what they saw caught them all by surprise.

Instead of wearing a skirt they are used to seeing, Chihiro was wearing something different that was more fitting to his gender. It was a simple pair of blue jeans, sneakers, and a collared long sleeve on top. Those who met his father would clearly see the resemblance now. He fidgeted a little under the startled looks of his friends and classmates. "Um, g-good morning?"

The only one who doesn't look surprised was Spirit. "See you decided to wear some of boy's clothing I put in your room." He said non-chalantly.

"Y-Yeah, I did." The programmer confirmed. "Since everyone here already know that I'm a boy, I don't really need to wear girl's clothing. Besides…" He closed his eyes briefly before opening them in determination. "Th-This is a good start right?"

"But…" His look of determination quickly reverted back to shyness. "I don't think I'll be wearing this outside anytime soon... it still feels.. so weird..."

No one blamed him for such a reaction. Being able to change that much in a day is already more than an achievement for someone like Chihiro. "Don't worry too much about it, Chihiro." Makoto told him reassuringly. "Just move at your own pace."

"Yeah, man. Small steps for a small man." Leon said in agreement. "Still, you look good in pants."

"Yeah." Sayaka nodded, smiling at him. "I think you wear that nicely."

"Definitely! If only my brother can look like that too!" Hina chirped, causing Chihiro to blush heavily.

Mondo laughed at that. "Looks like when you show the world, you're gonna have some more fan girls Chihiro." The programmer couldn't find a response to such words and simply sat between Taka and Mondo, trying to hide his blush.

"Alright, then, now that we're all here…" Spirit summoned the remote before pointing it at the TV. "Ready to continue this?"

That caused some of the good mood to diminish. Some like Hina, Hiro, and Hifumi look very reluctant to continue while others like Makoto, Celeste, and Byakuya look resigned.

"There's no use delaying. Let's continue on with this large glimpse of our future." Byakuya spoke.

"Wait a minute, why is he here?" Mondo protested, remembering that they still haven't addressed Byakuya's transgression.

"What, am I not allowed to be here? I don't remember anything that prohibited me from being present." Byakuya retorted. Even though his words were only directed at Mondo, it was clear on several other people's expressions that they also didn't exactly welcome him back.

"Why you..!" Mondo held back the flurry of insults that were about to come out.

"Besides, I'm doing you a favor that you didn't need to come get me. I'm almost certain Spirit would have refused to move on without my presence." Byakuya said as he nodded towards Spirit. Although Mondo really wanted to say his piece back at him, he really wasn't in a position to do so. The biker could only begrudgingly sit back down and turned to face the screen. Seeing everyone finally settled down, Spirit resumed the video.

 **The first thing the TV showed was Hina in her room. The swimmer is laying on her bed, with her hair down, and nothing but her sleeveless t-shirt and underwear on. Tears were cascading from her eyes.**

Starting with a half-naked Hina took the group by complete surprise, with some of them blushing madly at seeing her in that state. Hina herself is the worst, her face looking beet red and mortified.

"H-Hina?!" Sayaka exclaimed, clearly shock at seeing her friend half-naked.

"The hell!?" Mondo yelped in shock, a blush formed on his face.

"HYAAAH! STOP LOOKING! STOP! DON'T LOOK!" Hina cried out helplessly at everyone who got a glimpse at her vulnerable self.

Chihiro immediately covered his eyes with his hands well as trying to hiding his heavy blush. "Are we looking inside Hina's room?!"

"Apparently." Was all Byakuya could say as he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, as if he had just read one of Toko's novels.

Taka stood up, a mix of anger and embarrassment on his face. "Why are we watching this?! This is inappropriate for a school setting!"

"Not to mention it's our friend." Sakura said, looking her face darkening. She glared at Hifumi, who is staring at the screen with his usual perverted look on his face.

However, even though Makoto, was blushing as bad as Chihiro and Hina, he noticed something on the screen. "Hey wait guys…is Hina crying?"

His words immediately liberated everyone from their own thoughts to focus on the current situation. "Yeah, she is crying." Leon agreed.

Sakura's anger quickly transformed into concern. "Is it because of the last trial?"

"Yeah…that's probably it." Hina said, biting her lip. She herself is not handling this well. She couldn't imagine how her future self is handling all of that.

 **The Ultimate let out a few sniffles, hugging a pillow close to her. "I know I shouldn't cry…" She said to herself. "But…"**

 **She hugged the pillow closer to her, more tears cascading from her eyes. "I've had enough. I can't take it anymore." She continued, her voice slightly breaking. "Getting out of here…anytime soon…it's…impossible."**

The fragile scene that was being played definitely took a huge morale on everyone watching, especially those who were still alive. With Hina like that, who knew if they themselves were thinking the same thing? Those who weren't there could only imagine themselves in the same situation.

"Again, I ask: Why are we watching this?" Taka questioned, turning to Spirit. "Is this really needed?"

Spirit nodded, his heads slightly turned away from the TV. "It leads up to a more important scene, one that affects the remaining survivors for most of this chapter."

"This 'scene' better be important, then." Sakura said, clearly not happy that her friend is being shown half-naked and crying on screen.

 **She closed her eyes tightly, yet the tears still fell from her eyes. "I can't let myself think about…how much I want to get out of here. If I keep thinking like that, I might decide to…"**

Hina looked down and wrapped her arms around herself, shaking. It looks like her future self share the same fear as well. That she would kill one of her friends to get out.

Sakura, sensing her friend's worries and fear, place a hand reassuring hand on her shoulder. Hina gave a small smile in thanks before turning back to the screen.

 **Again, Hina went silent, just lay on her bed. Then suddenly, she shot up from her beds. "...Donuts." She said before shooting up. "I need to eat some donuts! That'll cheer me up!"**

However, with the sudden change of mood, everyone was saved from the very gloomy atmosphere before. "O-Of course the first t-thing the i-idiot swimmer think of is donuts when s-sad."

"Yep, same old Hina." Sayaka said, shaking her head in amusement.

Said girl was blushing in embarrassments as more of the students agreed with Toko's statement. "Hey!" She whined with a pout. "It's not bad that donuts help you feel better!"

"No, it's not Hina." Makoto said, smiling. "But it's still amusing to see that donuts always help you feel better."

"Even more so when you have a stack of them on your plate." Leon pointed out with a grin. Hina could only pout with puffed out cheeks as she couldn't deny it while lightening the mood in the room even more.

 **As she put on her clothes, she began listing the different kinds of donuts. "Glazed donuts, twisty donuts, jelly donuts, cream-filled, donut holes, malasadas…!" After she got ready, she stood up straight from her bed. "O god of donuts! I'm praying for a wonderful encounter!"**

Celeste let out an annoyed sigh. "And yet again, someone is breaking the night time rule."

"But it for a good cause." Leon said in defense for Hina "To forget about this damn game with a sugary snack."

"Besides, it's not like anything is going to happen." Hiro said. "This is beginning of the chapter. There's no way something like that will happen."

 **As she got out of her room, Hina sniffed a little before wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry…" She said to no one in particular. "Please, forgive me for breaking the nighttime rule…but right now, for me…donuts are absolutely necessary…!"**

 **Before she could set her way to the warehouse, an electrical sound suddenly entered the area. "...Huh?" Was Hina's confuse response to it. Once again, the sound entered the area.**

That cause the group stiffen a little."Um, what's that?" Taka asked nervously.

"I think that the sound of Mr. Hagakure jinxing us." Hifumi responded, just as nervous.

"N-No way! There's no way something would happen so soon!" Hiro protested, waving his hands around.

Once again, Sakura's face darkened and her hands clenched into fists. "I swear, if anything happens to Hina…"

" **What's the sound?" She asked, looking creeped out. Again, the sound resonated in the hallway, causing her to turn to the source. "It sounds like it's coming from…the bathhouse…" Once again, the electrical sound was played, which scared her even more. "I'm super scared, but…" Biting her lip, she went over to the bathhouse.**

"What are you doing?!" Hifumi squealed in terror. "Has horror movies taught you nothing?!"

"Even without watching those, it's common sense not to go a strange sound!" Leon exclaimed.

Hina is shaking in terror, wondering what's going to happen.

" **I-Is…? Is someone there?" She nervously called out. As she got close to the bathhouse, she noticed that there was a green light in there. Still scared, she went up to the source of the light, which was one of the lockers. And when she got a good look inside, she gasped.**

 **What she saw a glowing head of the now deceased Chihiro.**

" **KYAAAAAAAH!"**

The sight of Chihiro's head caused several of the others to scream as well. "GHOST!" Hiro screamed in terror. "It's Chihiro's ghost!"

"Th-That's impossible!" Byakuya denied, clearly rattled. Such a thing clearly defies all logic. "There's no such thing as ghost!"

"Then how do you explain Chihiro's floating head?!" Sayaka exclaimed, clinging onto Makoto's arm in fear.

"It has to be something else!" The heir fervently denied.

"We also thought that teleportation and telekinesis is impossible." Junko retorted. "Yet our host did both." Byakuya had no retort for that.

Meanwhile, Chihiro stared at the screen, wide eyes. ' _I-Is that…?'_ He thought to himself before shaking his head. ' _N-No, it can't be! But…I can't think of anything else!'_ Was that really…his AI, Alter Ego?

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed chapter. Again, sorry about being so later. Hopefully, that won't happen again, and maybe since it's the summer, I can post more in. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: No talk from me this time, but hopefully, something more interesting happens to me by the time the next chapter is done haha.**


	44. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 2

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I'm slowly but surely getting back in the swing of writing daily. Though a little monkey wrench I call Persona 5 got thrown in there. I've been hearing how good the game was in the internet, along with a few recommendations here, so I finally decided to check it out. Suffice to say, I'm binge watching a walkthrough on youtube. I'll try not to let it interfere with writing, though.**

 **So, with that out of the way, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Hey everyone! Introductory chapter here so just a few things to start things off. Not too many questions I could really toss up here this time so I guess I'll keep it short here.**

 **Q: What's your favourite characters and seasons from Total Drama?  
L: I actually have never heard of it but if it's worthwhile, I'll maybe check it out. I've been blasting through a few other things that I'll talk about at the end of the chapter :P  
S: Favorite characters are Trent (S1), Duncan (S1-2), Bridgette, and Noah (S3). My favorite seasons are season 1 and 3.**

 **Q: Have you read Danganronpa: A New Hope by Scorpio 116?  
** **L: Nope, haven't read it. I've got quite a bit on my plate right now so maybe I'll get to it if its worthwhile.  
S: I read some, but stopped reading at some point. Felt that it was getting a bit too dark for my taste.**

Chapter 43: Watching Ch 3: A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero! Part 2

 **(Chapter 3 - A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero!)**

"...The hell?" Mondo deadpanned. He, along with several of the others, were baffled at the title, as well as the image alongside it.

"Okaaay, can someone explain to me why the title is something Hifumi would come up with?" Leon asked, ignoring the indigenous squawk that came from the fanfic creator.

"Maybe it's suggest that the tone this chapter is more lighthearted?" Makoto suggested.

"I hope so." Sayaka sighed, hoping for a change of pace. "We need some more lighthearted moments after the last two chapters." No one disagreed with that statement.

 **After the picture disappeared, narrator Makoto spoke. "The morning after the conclusion of the second class trial…" The screen lit up to show Makoto entering the dining hall, with Kyoko, Celeste, Hiro, Sakura, Taka, and Hifumi were already inside. "Everyone met up in the dining hall, just like always. And I expected it to start like any other day. That what I expected, but…"**

"Um, where's Miss Asahina?" Hifumi pointed out nervously.

The absence of the donut-loving girl got the others tense, especially the girl herself and Sakura. "Do you think the ghost got her?" Hiro questioned, looking ready to panic. "Maybe it killed her!"

"Let's not jump into conclusions yet." Kyoko advised. "We still don't know what Hina saw." And while it does look like a ghost, she wasn't one to start believing in the supernatural.

" **Today's count kinda suck, right?" Hiro sighed miserably. "Toko and Byakuya still refuse to show up…"**

" **And I haven't seen Miss Asahina anywhere." Hifumi noted.**

" **She said her stomach was hurting, so she's taking it easy in her room for today." Sakura informed them.**

Everyone relaxed a bit when they heard those words. "Phew. The ghost didn't get her." Hiro sighed in relief.

"Will you stop saying it's a ghost?" Byakuya asked in frustration.

"It's was a green, floating head! Chihiro's green, floating head!" Hiro exclaimed. "How can it not be a ghost?!"

' _Because it could be a computer…'_ Chihiro thought to himself. He didn't tell the others since he couldn't be certain that it was Alter Ego. After all, it's still a classified project.

" **That is rather unusual for her." Celeste mused. "Normally she is so full of energy."**

" **Which is exactly what makes me worry…" Sakura agreed.**

"Can't blame her for staying in her room." Sayaka said in sympathy. "Anyone would after seeing what she saw."

"No argument there." Leon remarked with a frown.

"Awww you guys are all making it sound worse than it really is!" Hina complained and pouted.

" **So it's just the seven of us, then?" Kyoko inquired.**

" **It looks that way…" Makoto answered as he looked around.**

 **Hiro then turned to Taka's direction. "It's times like this where the committee chairman needs to get things going with a BANG!" He exclaimed.**

 **Taka didn't say anything in response. The Ultimate Moral Compass looked paralyzed in his seat, trauma written all over his face, eyes heavy from lack of sleep, and his skin sickly pale. "Or not…?"**

The state Taka's in caused many to wince, especially Mondo. "Looks like Taka is taking the last trial pretty hard." Junko noted.

"I'm not surprised." Taka said, looking a bit tense. "After all, I had a hard time dealing with watching the future event happening. I can't imagine what my future self is feeling." ' _And I hope I never will.'_ He thought to himself.

 **Makoto and the others looked at the traumatized student.** ' _ **Taka hasn't said a word since everything that happened yesterday….'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **One look at his face showed he hadn't slept a wink last night. It must be because of Mondo…'**_

That caused Mondo to look down and clench his fists together, guilt churning in his stomach. He didn't think his death would affect his friend so badly. Though in hindsight, he's one of the few, and the first, that became such a close friend to Taka, so it would be obvious that his death would affect him badly.

' _You really did fuck it up…'_ He thought to himself bitterly. But soon, determination filled him. ' _But I won't this time.'_

 **A flashback of Mondo's execution was shown.** ' _ **The two of them became so close, and then he finds out Mondo killed Chihiro…'**_ **He continued.** ' _ **And then…having to watch Mondo get…punished. And nothing he could do about it…'**_

Taka gripped his knees tightly at the last sentence. That's what frustrated the most about the last chapter. There was nothing he could've done. He couldn't get everyone's secrets revealed, stop Mondo from doing what he did, couldn't save Mondo from the execution…all he could do was watch.

' _I won't be doing that next time.'_ Taka thought, determination also filling him. ' _Next time, I'll be sure to stop this alongside everybody else!'_

" **So, I mean…what's gonna happen now?" Hifumi asked everyone. "We haven't found any way out, and we have no idea if help's ever gonna come." The fanfic then groaned, his head drooping. "Now I'm all depressed just thinking about it…"**

" **We simply have to make the best of things," Celeste advised them. "Do our best to get along and live here together in piece."**

"She's still going on about living there?" Leon asked incredulously. "Okay, I think Mondo was on to something when he called her a loon!"

"Will you not call me a loon?" Celeste said, gritting her teeth a little at the insult.

"Well, you can't really blame him, can you?" Junko remarked. "Anyone insisting on living here are either crazy or living in a dream. It's almost as bad as Hiro."

Celeste nearly snapped at being compared to Hiro. She _never_ want to be compared to the idiot! However, she manage to keep her composure. "I very much _doubt_ that my future self is as bad as Hiro. At least it's a solution as to what to do instead of denying it altogether."

"When will you guys stop bringing that up?" Hiro whined.

" **Forget about the outside world, and accept this new life. That is the only hope we have now."**

Celeste mentally frowned at this, being sure to conceal her emotions. While her future self said similar several times already, those words seem more…forced, than usual. Her future self must be getting frustrated, due to the last two trials happening.

Makoto also noticed the slight change in wording and tone as well. It caused him to frown in concern. Is the situation really getting to her?

" **What…?" Makoto said, looking at Celeste with slight disbelief. "To live here forever…?"**

" **Here we have every convenience. We have food, clothes, our every need is seen too. Why are you dissatisfied?" She asked them. "In fact, let me ask you this? What is it about the outside world that you long for?"**

"Um, our family?" Leon began listing as it was obvious.

"Our friends?" Sayaka continued for him.

"The outdoors?" Hina added.

"Proper education?" Taka spoke up.

Junko snorted. "It seems that there's plenty of stuff the outside world has." And that exactly how she wants it.

 **Her voice then got a little colder. "Competition, discrimination, victimization, and violence…as society grows, so does its perversion. In which case, is our current situation is not-"**

 **She was interrupted by Hifumi, who looked frustrated. "Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess…"**

" **Hmm?" Was Celeste confused response, her cold demeanor replaced with confusion.**

The group, who were getting chills from Celeste's speech, was confused at Hifumi's sudden statement. "Uh, what?" Junko spoke up for most of them.

" **Meggy, the drill shop owner, the bunny-eared Amazon, Catgirl Dogboy, Robo Justice the Galactic King…" Hifumi listed off. "And…! And-!"**

Toko let out an annoyed groan. "G-Great. H-He's talking about h-his manga and a-anime trash."

"It's absolutely not trash!"

"I-It is so! There's nothing good that comes from that!"

"Insulted 2-D one more time and…"

"Will you two stop this bickering?!" Taka shouted in frustration. "We do not have the time for it! We need to continue watching, else we'll be here for who knows how long!"

The two grumbled, but stayed quiet for the moment.

" **What I mean is, there's no 2D here!" Hifumi roared.**

" **The mastermind puts such base desire to their advantage, bending you to their will…" Celeste said dismissively.**

" **Okay, well, anyway…" Hiro spoke up. "Since Taka's like, catatonic…as the oldest one here, I'm officially stepping up to take the lead!"**

That had some in the group burst out laughing, those being Junko, Leon, Sayaka, Hina, and Mondo. The five were doubling over in laughter, the idea of Hiro being a leader so ridiculous it's hilarious.

"Hiro, leading a group?" Byakuya repeated, looking repulsed at the idea. "That's like gambling away your entire fortune."

"Y-Yeah! I sooner see my grunt of a sister take a leadership position than Hiro!" Junko giggled, ignoring the look that her sister is giving her.

As they laughed, Hiro hung his head down in depression while Makoto and Chihiro gave him sympathetic smiles. "You guys suck, you know that?"

" **So! We're gonna work together and spend the rest of the day searching the school!"**

" **Searching…?" Makoto questioned in slight confusion.**

" **Well, I mean…since the class trial is over and all…" Hiro explained, trailing off.**

" **...there should be new places for us to investigate." Sakura finished for him.**

Eyes lit up in remembrance at this. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Hina said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "Since the trial is over, another floor opened up."

"And that means the third floor is open." Celeste said, smiling a little. "Now they can have access to the recreational room, art room, and physic lab."

"We can also see if there's any clue the mastermind left." Kyoko mused.

Hiro quickly latched onto his future self's suggestion. "See? I can come up with good ideas!"

"That's actually surprising.." Mukuro commented on the side.

"Definitely unexpected." Hifumi added.

"Don't get too excited." Byakuya remarked with an eye roll. "Any fool with half a brain could suggest that."

" **Yeah, that's the ticket! Maybe we'll find some kind of clue this time!" Hiro said with some excitement.**

" **Then once we're done eating, let's split up and begin looking around." Sakura advised. "Do you have any problems with that, Celeste?"**

" **Hmm…there may well be a discovery waiting for us which may further enrich our life here." Celeste stated.**

That caused several of them to roll their eyes. "How much you want to bet that she doesn't bother looking for clues?" Leon asked.

In response, Mondo snorted. "No betting on a sure thing."

" **Er, no…the point is to look for clues." Hifumi reminded her.**

 **Suddenly, someone dashed into the dining hall and stood in front of the group. That person was none other than Genocide Jack. "You called for me, and so I appear! Genocide-!"**

 **Hifumi screamed in fear at her appearance. "Nobody called for you!"**

Her sudden appearance caused several of them to yelp or jump in surprise. But the most extreme reaction was Toko, who let out a shock and terrified scream at her alter ego. "G-G-Genocide J-Jack?!"

"Why the fuck is she still there?" Mondo asked incredulously.

Junko let out a sigh. "Guess it's one of those days where she stays for a while."

"So it would seem." Byakuya sighed with obvious annoyance. He wonder how his future self is fairing with Genocide Jack.

" **What the…? How come it's Genocide Jill, and not Toko?" Hiro asked nervously.**

" **God, this place is just AMAZING! Finally a place I can just be my murderous self!" Jill stated, exuberant as ever. "Which is why I've decided to stop holding back and spread my wings! No more hiding in a cave for me!"**

"G-Go back in the cave!" Toko shouted, curling up into a ball, her body shaking. "G-Go back in my m-mind!" Seeing her alternate personality, so full of life and crazy, made her even more scared of Jill.

Some of the others looked at Toko in concern. "Is Toko gonna be okay?" Hina asked, worried.

"This is Toko's first time actually seeing Genocide Jack." Kyoko sighed. "So it might take her some time to get use to seeing her other personality on the screen."

"Something tells me that Jill will have plenty of screen time for that." Sayaka mused.

" **Plus, I have another battle to fight!" She added. "The whole 'killer with a split personality' thing is sooo overdone. I gotta destroy that stereotype! I'll fight all day and all night murder those totally sanderous cliches!"**

"...Why does Jill say things that always give me a headache?" Leon groaned, facepalming and shaking his head. "She IS the cliche!"

" **But…you are the killer with a split personality…" Hiro pointed out.**

 **Hifumi groaned in frustration. "If she weren't here, my chances of survival would go up at least 10%!"**

Despite her terrified state, Toko snorted. "Y-You say that as if s-s-she's your target. G-Genocide J-Jack only kill cute a-and adorable boys. Y-You aren't cute!"

"Maybe not in this form, but my ultra form is one that would have Miss Jill drooling!" Hifumi declared.

"...I'm not gonna bother commenting on that." Leon groaned even further.

" **C'mon, you gotta back me up here! Even the biggest stars need the little people to hold them up!" Jill then ended that statement with her signature laugh.**

 **Sakura let out an annoyed sigh. "Well, whatever else we do today, first we should eat. We can't do anything on an empty stomach."**

" **You're right." Makoto agreed. "Let's hurry up and eat so we can start our investigation…" Jill's continued laughter entered the group's ear once again.**

"So they'll have to eat with Jack?" Hiro moaned in annoyance. "Aw man."

"That'll be an annoying meal." Leon sighed. Makes him sorta glad he's out of the picture.

" **So we were forced to eat with a murderer." Narrator Makoto said as the TV showed the annoyed Ultimate eating alongside Jill. "And after a much needed but very annoying meal…" The TV then transition to Makoto walking into the third floor. "...we set to work looking around the school."**

" **The 3rd floor of the Hope's Peak Academy…" Makoto murmured to himself. "I wonder what we're gonna find this time…" With that, he began exploring.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto entering the recreational room, with Celeste already inside. "Hmm…so this is…" Makoto trailed off.**

" **A recreational room." Celeste answered. "A place for students to come and relax…"**

" **I never would've imagined a school having a place like this…" Makoto commented on.**

"It was definitely a nice surprise." Hifumi agreed. "But the recreational room in the new school building makes it look mediocre in comparison."

"Definitely." Celeste, Mondo, Leon, and Sayaka said in agreement. That recreational had much more variety than the old one.

" **Well, no normal school would." Celeste pointed out as she looked around. "It has Othello, shogi, even a dart board and a pool table. And look at this…" Her eyes was then set on a collection of magazines near the wall. "They even had even provided us with a remarkable number of magazines. Those will certainly be helpful in keeping our boredom at bay."**

"Indeed." Celeste agreed with her future self. "While not up to par with the current recreational room in the new building, it will still provide some entertainment."

"Yeah, cause that's what they fucking need right now…" Mondo remarked with an eye roll.

 **Suddenly, Monokuma popped up. "Ring, ring, ring! Hello there! Allow me to expound!"** (At this point, there were a few jumps, but overall, no one was really surprised by his appearance.)

" **We've got fashion, motorcycles, martial arts, video games, baseballs, science, all kinds of magazines!" The bear listed off. "Oh, but nothing dirty! This is a school, after all. If you need a quick fix, check out the swimsuit mags!"**

" **And will you be adding to our collection as the new issues come out?" Celeste inquired.**

" **Sorry, no can do." Monokuma answered. "Even if I wanted to, right now magazines are kinda…"**

His words got the group's attention. "Kinda what?" Taka asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and curiosity.

 **The bear quickly covered his mouth. "Oops!" He squeaked. "Nothing, never mind, no, no, no! Anyway, that's it for my expoundation. Bye-bye!" With that, the bear quickly left.**

"Can he stop making us so curious?" Hina whined. "What did he mean by 'are kinda'?"

"Is it related to our lost memories?" Byakuya mused. "After all, a few of us would notice quite a few contradictions between the latest magazines and our memories."

"Maybe, but the wording doesn't match that well." Kyoko pointed out. "From what he said, it may be something else. Something both we and our future selves are unaware of."

"What would stop Monokuma from being able to get the latest magazines?" Sayaka questioned, worried.

"It could all just be a farce to get us thinking." Celeste said, thinking on the other possibility.

 **Celeste was silent for a moment, musing on what he said. "What he just said…" She murmured.**

" **I know, right? It bothers me, too…" Makoto agreed, frowning a little.**

" **Life here would be that much nicer if he could add some new issues once in a while." Celeste sighed in disappointment. "How disappointing."**

" **R-Really…?"**

"Your priorities really needs some adjusting, Celeste." Byakuya sighed in slight annoyance. The gambler merely smiled in response.

 **The next scene was Makoto entering inside the physic lab, with a traumatized Taka still inside.** ' _ **This is….the physics lab.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **It's less like a classroom and more like some kind of research institute…'**_

"A lot of the rooms seem more like research institutes than classrooms." Celeste noted. "Though considering that Hope's Peak holds the most talented people out there, it isn't that much of a surprise."

"Yeah, that's true." Makoto agreed. People like Chihiro and Kazuichi, the Ultimate Engineer, would need laboratory-like classes. "On another note, what's that giant machine in the middle of the room?"

"I've been wondering about that myself." Kyoko mused. "Perhap it's something that was created by an Ultimate or bought by Hope's Peak."

"Or something the mastermind brought in." Byakuya suggested.

Hina shuddered at that. "If it's that, then I really don't want to know what it would do."

 **He then turned to Taka. "Hey, Taka. Don't you think this place is like some kind of research institute?" He asked, attempting to get the moral compass to talk.**

 **He was met with silence.** ' _ **Still no reaction…'**_ **Makoto sighed.**

"I don't think you'll be able to get any reaction from him for a while." Mukuro noted with a sigh. "Watching someone whom you grew close to, despite it being only a few days, would render many people in this state for a long period of time."

"Personal experience talking again, sis?" Junko inquired. The soldier nodded.

"I saw civilians that were caught in battle suffering the same way, and there were a few in Fenrir that were like that." She informed them. They had to resign from the mercenary group because of it.

 **The luckster then turn his eyes to the machine in the middle of the room. "What's up with this ridiculously big machine…?" He mused out loud.**

 **Suddenly, Monokuma popped right in front of Makoto. "Watch out!"**

His sudden shout drew in a few more jumps and yelps this time. "Wh-What is it?!" Hina exclaimed nervously.

"Is this thing going to explode?!" Hifumi screamed in panic.

 **The luckster jumped at the sudden shout. "Wh-What-?"**

" **What, do you wanna do some quantum leaping?!" The bear exclaimed.**

" **Huh…?" Was Makoto's confused response.**

"What the fuck is this bear talking about?" Mondo questioned, still looking a bit rattled. "Or is it more random shit?"

"I'm willing to bet on the latter." Byakuya sighed.

" **That's a time machine!" Monokuma informed him. "Pretty awesome, right? It as designed by a student right here at Hope's Peak!"**

"A time machine?!" Several of the students shouted in disbelief.

A giant glimmer of hope spread into Taka's eyes. "Then…maybe my future self could stop Mondo from commiting his crime." His voice steadily went higher. "Maybe we stop this entire killing-"

"Before you gets your hopes up too high, do remember who we're dealing with here." Celeste interjected. "A madman capable of creating the school into a prison and making us his prisoners. One who has effectively played with our emotions to get us killing one another. Would someone like that really leave such a powerful machine out in the open for us to use?"

"And that is without considering what he's saying is true." Byakuya added. "As far as we know, no one in Hope's Peak has created such a thing. And since in the future, Hope's Peak is closed for a year, I doubt anyone would have the sufficient time to create it."

Each good point diminished their hopes to the point where several have slump in disappointment. "But…but then why would Monokuma say that?" Chihiro asked.

"It's obvious why, Chihiro." Mukuro sighed. "It's too hurt Taka even more. Bring his hopes up only to crash it down."

That drew an angry growl from the biker. His bro was hurt enough with the last trial. Now he's going out of the way to hurt him even more?!

 **The Ultimate Physicist…although, they don't go here anymore. They died during The Tragedy!"**

The last sentence caught the group's attention. "The Tragedy?" Hifumi repeated with obvious confusion. "What is he talking about?"

"Unsure. I've never heard of it before." Sakura said, frowning in puzzlement.

Kyoko looked down in thought. ' _Is this another part of the future?'_ Kyoko thought to herself. ' _And does it tie in with Hope's Peak?'_

The only ones who weren't puzzled were the despair sisters themselves. ' _So that's what it's called.'_ Mukuro thought with a small frown. ' _The Tragedy.'_

' _Ooooh, so that's what it's gonna be called!'_ Junko squealed internally. ' _I like it! Makes it sound much more catastrophic!'_

 **That's when Taka finally spoke up. "A time machine…?" He said hoarsely. "Seriously…? So…it can go back in time…? Okay, then…let me get in here…"**

 **Steadily, his voice started rising higher with desperation swimming in his eyes. Slowly, he walked towards the supposed time machine. "If I can go back to the past…then I can…" Finally, he began shouting. "This time I'll stop Mondo for sure-!"**

"Look like your prediction is correct sis." Junko said with a fake grimace. Taka winced and clenched his fists while Mondo anger grew as he watched this scene.

" **Oh, sorry, not possible." The bear quickly interjected. "This particular time machine can only go back one minute. It comes in handy when you, like…leave your pizza bagels in the microwave one minute too long."**

 **That caused Taka freeze. "One minute…?"**

" **Hmm…you sound disappointed." Monokuma commented on.**

"That. Fucking. Bear!" Mondo growled like a barely contained animal. "Isn't this damn game enough for the sick fucker?!"

"This is just cruel…" Chihiro whimpered, feeling empathy for his friend.

" **But actually, I was lying about the whole thing anyway. There's no such things as time machines!"**

" **What…?" Was what Taka croaked out.**

Several of them winced at how broken Taka sound, and felt their anger towards the mastermind increase. "Will that electronic teddy bear just shut up already?!" Leon exclaimed in anger. "Taka is already suffering enough!"

"The mastermind doesn't seem to get enough of our emotional pain." Celeste said, her voice and facial appearance emotionless.

" **Honestly, it's just an air purifier." Monokuma informed them.**

" **Air purifier…?" Makoto said incredulously.**

The others felt that disbelief as well, along with their anger. "You mean to tell you me that this machine just produce clean air?" Byakuya questioned with obvious annoyance and disbelief. "Why waste resources on that?"

"At this point, I stopped trying to figure out the logic behind the mastermind's actions." Celeste sighed.

" **It can produce clean air no matter where you're at. With that thing, you could even live on Mars!" Monokuma continued. "But what with the discombobulating gravity and deadly low temperatures, you prolly don't wanna live on Mars. Anyway, this machine is the reason you guys have all this delicious air. So don't go messing with it! You break it, and it's your butt!" With that, he disappeared once more.**

 **Makoto stared at the giant air purifier with disbelief.** ' _ **This huge thing is just…an air purifier? And more than that…'**_ **The luckster turned to Taka, who somehow looks worse than before.** ' _ **To go out of your way to say something you know will hurt someone who's already suffering…'**_ " **God damn you!" Makoto cursed in anger.**

"Agreed, future me." Makoto muttered, looking angry himself. Beside him, he could hear Sayaka's grip on the arm rest tighten in anger.

Hina also look pissed, with angry tears swelling in her eyes. "Why? Why go out of your way to hurt us even more?" She cried out.

"Like Kyoko said a few days ago, the mastermind is a bully." Mukuro sighed, a small hint of disapproval in her voice. "A sadistic, childish bully."

Meanwhile, Mondo used every ounce of his self control to not go charging and punching the TV. When this chapter is over, he's definitely gonna ask Spirit for a punching bag. Specifically one with Monokuma's face on it.

 **As he went to leave, he spotted a camera on the table.** ' _ **Oh, this is…'**_ **He grabbed the camera and held it up.** ' _ **It's a digital camera. It's got some kind of weird anime style design on it…'**_

"Wait a minute…" Makoto said slowly in realization. "Isn't that your camera, Hifumi?"

The fanfic creator got a closer look at the camera. "You're right! It's mine!" He exclaimed in surprise. "But what's doing in the physic room?" A look of horror then crossed his face. "And why does it look so banged up?!"

"It probably has something to do with our lost memories." Byakuya mused. "As well as the fact most of our stuff was taken away from the beginning."

' _ **It's kinda beat up, but it looks like it still turns on just fine…'**_ **He then turned it on to see if it works.** ' _ **Yup, it still works! I should show the others later.'**_

Hifumi moaned in disappointment. "It's supposed to be in mint condition! Now, it's useless! Might as well as be trash!"

"For someone who valued it so much, you're quick to throw it away Hifumi…" Makoto pointed out with a sweatdrop.

 **The switched to Makoto entering the art room, with Hifumi already inside. "Well, well. Look at all this equipment! It certainly scratches that artistic itch of mine…" The fanfic creator mused. "Art supplies, of course, but they've also collected all kinds of sculpting tools!"**

" **So, Hifumi…do you like sculptures and figurines and stuff?" Makoto asked him.**

" **Well normally, I limit myself to 2D. But figurines are like, borderline 2D, so it's okay." Hifumi answered.**

"How the fuck is that borderline?" Mondo asked bluntly. "There's nothing 2D about it!"

"Figurines are based off 2D characters, and are not real life, 3D people!" Hifumi argued. "So that's makes it borderline 2D!"

"That's kinda a stretch, I think…" Sayaka replied with a sweatdrop.

 **Makoto sweatdropped.** ' _ **I don't know how that's 'borderline', but okay…'**_

" **I'm a fan of Charanbo, Pumpkinhead, and I especially admire anything that Saburo Roppongi makes." Hifumi continued speaking. "Charanbo's ability to express the movement of muscles is exquisite, as seen in his Mama Cat series. Pumpkinhead is like a little fairy, representing this century's greatest quality! Saburo Ronpoggi, meanwhile, is known for his Mecha Musume series, which led to a worldwide tour. Truly they can be regarded as the Elite Four!"**

Hifumi's lecture made the group…lost, to say the least. Hiro, Chihiro, and Hina had looks of pure confusion on their faces while Byakuya, Toko, and Leon have various forms of annoyance on theirs. The others' expressions varied.

"Who, and who, and who now?" Hina asked in utter befuddlement.

"There's the most well known manga artists out there." Makoto explained to them, hearing about them from Hifumi already.

"But, why four?" Hiro asked in confusion. "Aren't there just three of them?"

"Well, four sounds a lot cooler than three!" Hifumi exclaimed in defense. "Besides, I plan to get that empty seat myself!"

"G-Good grief, just s-shut up already." Toko grumbled.

" **But…one of your elite is missing." Makoto pointed out.**

" **Well the Elite Three just sounds stupid, now doesn't it?!" Hifumi exclaimed in defense. "Besides, that empty seat rightly belongs to…me!" He then snickered evilly. "It begins…today begins my reign as the legendary ruler of the nex century!"**

"Will he please stop babbling nonsense?" Byakuya groaned, facepalming. "This is an utter waste of time!"

"I beg to differ!" The fanfic creator himself refuted. "Ignorant folks such as you needs the knowledge of the world of mangas and fanfictions!"

"I rather stick to my knowledge of baseball, thanks." Leon deadpanned.

" **I see…well, good luck with that." Makoto quickly left the fanfic creator be and went to the repository attached to the art room. Once inside, he looked around.** ' _ **This is the repository that's attached to the art room. It used to store different artsy things…'**_

 **As he looked around, he eventually spotted something on the floor. "Huh…what's this on the floor?" He moved to where the item is at and got a closer look. "A picture…?" As he went to pick up, he froze when he got a closer look at the content of the picture. "Huh…?"**

 **Cause in that picture was Mondo, Leon, and Chihiro, smiling, and with the windows unbarred.**

Everyone's eyes widen in surprise at seeing this, especially those in the pictures. "Hey, that's our picture!" Leon said to Mondo and Chihiro. "The one Makoto took when we were goofing around the class that one time!"

"Hell yeah, you're right!" Mondo agreed. "But what's the hell is doing laying around in the art room?"

"First Hifumi's camera, and now this picture?" Celeste mused. "This is getting curiouser and curiouser…"

' _Agreed.'_ Kyoko thought to herself. Why and how were those items lying around like that in the 3rd floor? Were they left there accidently at some point? Did Monokuma place them there for clues?

" **What is this…?" The luckster asked him, shocked at what he's seeing.** ' _ **Why is it just these three? What are they doing together? How come they're smiling like that?'**_

 **Question after question race through his head.** ' _ **When was it taken? Who took it? Where's the camera they used? How'd they get it developed?'**_ **He then looked at the background.** ' _ **And in the picture, the window in the classroom…'**_ " **There's no metal plate covering it!" He yelled out loud. "Which must mean, wherever this picture was taken…it…wasn't here at Hope's Peak?"**

"Huh?" Hiro said, confused. "What does he mean that it wasn't there at Hope's Peak? It was, before it turned into a prison!"

"You forget that none of our future selves know this." Kyoko pointed out. "As far as they know, none of them went into Hope's Peak before. They never met each other until they entered Hope's Peak."

"Yeah…that's a fair point." Sayaka admitted, biting her lips at the reminder.

 **Before he could even think of any answers, Monokuma suddenly appeared. "That's mine! Give it back!" He then snatched the picture Makoto before he could blink.**

"What the he-?" Mondo exclaimed in shock before his anger overrode it. "The hell it yours, asshole!"

"Yeah! Give that picture back!" Leon shouted in anger and agreement.

" **You peeked, didn't you?! Well, they all had some pretty dazzling smiles, huh?" The bear asked. "They were definitely living their school life. It's like they ripped a page right outta the book of youth!"**

" **What's going on with that picture? Do you know…?" Makoto asked the bear.**

" **I'm not tellin' you nothin'!" With that, he disappeared.**

" **Why can't you give me a straight answer?!" Makoto shouted in frustration.**

The others couldn't help but jumped at the anger Makoto's showing. "Damn, dude. You're pissed." Leon whistled, his own anger gone.

"Man... who wouldn't be?" The luckster himself deadpanned.

"That's true." Leon admitted. "I would've punched a wall in your shoes."

"I would've trashed the whole fucking room." Mondo sighed. "Seriously, can't the bear give us straight answers? Or just shut the fuck up?"

"Unfortunately, he won't do either." Byakuya sighed in annoyance.

"But hey, look at the bright side." Hina chirped.

"Th-There's a bright side?" Toko asked incredulously.

"There is!" She insisted. "Since Makoto founds a few things from our past, maybe our future selves can figure out that they lost their memories!"

Kyoko sighed. "I"m sorry Hina, but that's most likely not gonna happen." Kyoko refuted. "We ourselves had trouble thinking and accepting that our future selves memories were lost. Imagine how hard it would be for them."

That caused the swimmer to sag in disappointment. "Oh, yeah."

 **He let out a breath of annoyance.** ' _ **Nevermind…I don't even know why I bothered asking…'**_ **As he walked out of the room, he mused to himself.** ' _ **I discovered a lot of stuff. And it was all strange. But I dunno if any of it was an actual clue…I'm just getting more confused.'**_

"It appears that Kyoko is correct." Celeste pointed out. "The others would also probably right it off as forgery from Monokuma."

"Okay, okay, I get it…" Hina moaned.

Sakura placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder while Makoto gave her a comforting smile from his side. "Don't worry, Hina. I'm sure they'll be able to find out about their memories." Makoto reassured her. "Maybe Monokuma left more clues around the area, something that can lead them to their memories."

Hina brightened up at Sakura's comforting touch and Makoto's comforting words. "Yeah! They'll figure all this out soon!" She said in determination. "But hopefully without another murder!"

"Now that's getting your hopes too high." Byakuya remarked, drawing a glare from Hina.

As they spoke, Kyoko thought of the things they heard and the things they've found. Unable to get new magazines under some circumstances? The Tragedy? Hifumi's Camera? The picture?

Two main question came to mind. Why were those items lying around? And what exactly is going to happen in the future?

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. And I hope the binge watch won't get in the way for too long. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier's small anime rant:**

 **Ok it's been about 2 updates since I talked about my anime adventures here, and I'll start with both Golden Time, and White Album 2. Both of them are romance animes that hurt so good while also bringing fantastic story telling (although at the expense of a not-so-smart MC) that I don't know how I haven't heard of them until I stumbled onto them. I'm a person who would take a Happy Ending over a sad one any day, but I still appreciate really well done bad ends. And that's where these two come in. Golden Time was a good emotional ride. Although I wouldn't say it was as in-depth as White Album 2, it was well done enough that it was very enjoyable for me. White Album 2 on the other hand, is the kicker. There's so much I can talk about the beauty of the complexity in this plot, but I'd rather not to save space here. I am aware that White Album 2 originated from an Adult Visual Novel, but that doesn't mean the story is bad. The anime captures the feelings of the three main characters so well, and the complexity of their love for one another so well that even though it brings so much pain, I found myself unable to hate any of the characters for who they are. I won't spoil what happens, but if you find yourself watching White Album 2, make sure you follow up by reading a summary on what happens afterwards. If the Visual Novel is divided into 5 parts, the anime only covers the Prologue and Chapter 1. I'm going to need some light hearted stuff now.**


	45. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 3

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, this chapter will be the group watching the remaining survivors tell each other what they've found, along with Hina revealing the "ghost" she saw. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Another quick chapter to keep things going! And to keep it quick, I'll go right into the questions stuff.**

 **Q: Will you be doing Sakura and Kyoko's FTEs since neither of them will speak to Makoto in Chapter 4?  
L: I don't know how Spirit is going to do it but, maybe? We might just bend the rules a bit and have a bit of their FTEs anyways but I'll let Spirit answer this.  
S: That's the plan, though I might bend the rules a bit, if I can and/or need to.**

 **Q: Will Mondo be stopped from hitting people even in the mastermind reveal?  
L: As Taka would say: Violence is not tolerated in a school environment!  
**

 **Q: Is Mukuro going to face everyone like she did at the end of IF?  
L: We didn't plan that far yet so I don't know. There's still plenty of time before we need to start worrying about it :)  
**

 **Q: Will you do IF as a side story?  
** **L: I believe Spirit's answer is no.  
** **S: Yeah, it was no.**

Chapter 44: Watching Ch 3: A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero! Part 3

 **When Makoto got back to the dining hall, the first thing he saw was Hina in one of the tables, a plate of donuts in front of her. "Ah-!" She yelped in surprise, dropping the donut in her hand.**

" **Hina?!"**

The group blinked in slight surprise at seeing the swimmer in the dining hall. "Well, looks like Miss Asahina is feeling better." Hifumi commented on.

"And eating her plate of diabetes as usual!" Junko commented on with a smirk.

"They're donuts." Makoto corrected with a sigh.

That caused the girl to blush a little in embarrassment.

 **Soon as Makoto yelled her name, the others rushed into the dining hall, especially Sakura. "Hina!"**

" **Huh? I thought she was sick or somethin'." Hiro pointed out in confusion. The group rushed past Makoto and surrounded the girl, making her feel very uncomfortable.**

" **Are you feeling better already?" Sakura asked in concern.**

" **Y-Yeah…I decided to eat a few donuts, which is really helping out a lot." Hina reassured them, taking a bite of said donut.**

Celeste sighed. "Why even tell a lie if you're not going to keep up with it? Your future self did say that she wasn't feeling good, did she not?"

Hina couldn't help blush in embarrassment. "M-Maybe the others won't notice the slip up."

"With Kyoko and Celeste around?" Junko snorted. "Might as well suggest that Taka doesn't know the school rules well."

" **You do love those donuts…" Makoto commented on with slight amusement.**

" **But…wasn't it your stomach that was hurting?" Celeste pointed out.**

" **Well, my stomach ache kinda made me hungry, so…you know…" Hina fumbled, trailing off her words. Then she gave a nervous laugh. "I guess my memory's kinda fuzzy lately…"**

Celeste let out a sigh while bringing her hand to her forehead as if suffering from a headache. "Your attempt at lying is pitiful." Hina's cheek burned brighter at that. "You really shouldn't have bothered."

"What could she have done? Tell the truth?" Sayaka pointed out. "I doubt any of us would believe her if she did."

"She might as well lie." Leon agreed.

"H-Hey! At least I got my donuts!" Hina protested.

" **They say that a goldfish will eat however much food you give it, even if it's about to burst." Hifumi informed them. "Miss Asahina's pretty much the same, it looks like."**

The blush on Hina's cheek didn't let up due to Hifumi's comment, and her cheeks puffed up in anger. "You're the last person I want to hear that from, Hifumi!"

"At least she exercises, fatty." Leon added in. "You, however, look like a walrus."

"As I said before, this is only my mundane form! I have yet to release my true one!"

"How about you start working out? Hell, even Toko is probably more fit than you." Mondo pointed out with an eye roll.

"I-I don't take t-that as a compliment y-you know?!" Toko lashed back.

" **Hey!" A blush formed on Hina's cheeks as they puffed out. "You of all people don't have room to talk!"**

 **Sakura then interjected. "Anyway…I was worried about you."**

" **S-Sorry…" Hina said, sounding a bit guilty.**

" **Besides that, you-!" Jill cut in. But then stopped when her eyes were set on Hina's chest.**

" **Huh…?" Hina replied in confusion.**

" **Jeez, your knockers are HUGE!" Jill rudely and cheerfully pointed out. "What the heck, did you convince them to double up on milk production?!"**

Hina blushed heavily and covered her chest. "C-Could she stop making those type of comments?!"

"It's Jill: You know the serial killer doesn't have a filter in her mouth." Sayaka sighed. "I feel your pain though." There was more than one time that the serial killer made those type of comments.

"That fiend better keep away from her…" Sakura growled. She too hated when Genocide Jill sexually harassed Hina with her words. The killer is lucky doesn't do so physically, else she would face the wrath of the Ultimate Martial Artist.

Toko could do little else but writhe in her seat every time Jill spoke on the screen.

" **Stay away from her, fiend." Sakura growled, stepping between Jill and Hina.**

" **A-Anyway…" Hiro spoke up nervously. "First thing's first, we should talk about what we found. Right, Taka?"**

 **Again, the moral compass was silent, simply sitting at his usual place. "...Right." The fortune teller sighed. Something then clicked in his mind. "Oh, I just remembered! I saw Byakuya a little while ago."**

" **What?!" That immediately gain Jill's attention. She turned to Hiro with murder in her eyes and scissors in her hands. "Where?! WHERE WAS HE?!"**

Several of them jumped at this. "Why would you say that?" Hifumi cried out.

"I don't know! Jill is already stalking him!" Hiro said nervously.

"Just tell her!" Leon shouted at the screen. "Tell her and save yourself!"

"Shut it!" Byakuya glared at Leon before directing his glare at Hiro. "Your future self better not reveal where I'm at."

"Y-Yeah! K-Keep G-Genocide Jack a-away from M-Master!" Toko spoke up, still curled up and shaking from the sight of Jill.

" **Y-You're kinda scarin' me…" Hiro said, stepping away from the scissor wielding psychopath.**

" **Where. Was. HE?!"**

" **He was in the locker room…" Hiro quickly told her. "He had a huge stack of books he musta got from the library."**

Everyone in the class suddenly made their prayers to Hiro while Byakuya's glare turned even fiercer. At the sight of it, Hiro panicked. "It was future me, future me!" He shouted, hoping that the heir doesn't murder him.

"Tch. You're lucky there are reasons why I can't send you to hell right now." Byakuya threatened.

Hiro could only gulp at the threat made at him and nervously turn back to the TV.

" **So THAT'S where he was hiding! I won't let him get away from me!" With her insane laughter, she ran out of the dining hall, leaving the remaining students by themselves.**

" **She just…ran off!" Hiro said.**

" **Is…is she okay?" Makoto asked in concern.**

" **We should not concern ourselves with her." Celeste told them. "There is one piece of good news. There just so happens to be a rec room up on the 3rd floor! I have no doubt that our student life here will be even more enjoyable because of it." She then let out a little giggle. "Will someone join me in a game of Othello sometime?"**

Leon snorted. "And if everything but the clothes on our backs will be taken away? Yeah, no thanks."

"It can be a friendly game." Celeste told him.

That earned a scoff from Byakuya. "A friendly game with you Celeste? Don't make me laugh."

"Well.. I had a few friendly games with her before." Makoto interjected before getting shot with 15 looks that said "you're different."

 **Nobody dared to take that offer. Hifumi then spoke up. "There was an art room on the 3rd floor, and it had all kinds of gear." He informed the then let out a small, dramatic laugh. "Now I'll be able to recreate all my favorite anime characters!"**

" **Oh yeah!" Makoto spoke up, remembering something. "Speaking of anime, that reminds me…I found something while I was looking around!" He then pull out the digital camera he found from his pockets.**

" **Hm…a digital camera?" Sakura noted with curiosity.**

" **That's what it seems like…" Makoto confirmed.**

" **Does it still work?" Hiro inquired.**

 **The luckster nodded. "Yeah, it seems fine."**

" **Well then, let's see it!" After Makoto laid it on the table, the group got a good look at it and immediately noted the odd design."What the heck? This thing is like a kid's toy! It looks like it can store like five pictures, maybe? It doesn't even have a timer or anything!"**

" **On top of that, its appearance seems…questionable." Celeste pointed out. "Is this some kind of anime character? Strange…"**

Hifumi gritted his teeth in frustration. "You people are all rude!" He exclaimed. "None of you have true appreciation of anime!"

"That's because none of us are full on otakus, dude." Leon said with an eye roll.

"A-And that anime's a mistake." Toko muttered to herself.

" **Rude!" Hifumi shouted in offense. "She's not strange! She's Princess Piggles, from Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess!"**

" **Oh, you recognize this, Hifumi?" Makoto asked him.**

" **Of course I recognize it!" Hifumi answered, as if it was obvious. "It's a super rare prize that was given away at a bingo contest at a big anime convention…you have any idea how much I had to pay that guy to get my hands on it?!"**

"Hopefully not as much as Hiro had to pay for that crystal ball." Celeste said.

"Of course not!" Hifumi immediately answered. "I wasn't that desperate to get the camera! But it still costed a hefty price!"

"Then why did you get it?" Chihiro asked curiously.

"Like future me said, it's such a rare item!" Hifumi explained. "Any huge anime fan would want to get their hands on it, especially fans of Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess!"

"I don't think I'll ever understand you fucking otakus…" Mondo sighed, with those like Leon, Byakuya, and Toko nodding in agreement.

" **Wait…that's my camera!" Hifumi screamed in realization and horror.**

 **Makoto's eyes widen in shock. "What?!"**

" **Wh-Where did you find it?!" Hifumi demanded.**

" **In the physics lab…"**

" **It's my most prized possession. I brought it here with me, but I lost the first day, along with my cell phone." The fanfic creator explained.**

" **Why would it have reappeared in the physics lab…?" Celeste questioned.**

' _I'm wondering that myself.'_ Kyoko thought to herself. ' _But without anymore information, all I could do is theorize.'_ She sighed to herself. ' _Just like with everything else.'_ Hopefully there will be _something_ that can connect these separate pieces.

" **Agh, but look it! It got all messed up!" Hifumi groaned. "Like when someone steals a stick from your collection, or you buy a secondhand shirt…" He let out a forlorn sigh. "Well, that's it…"**

" **Huh? That's it?" Makoto asked in confusion.**

" **It's not in mint condition. I don't need it anymore…" Hifumi stated.**

" **But weren't you just saying how much it meant to you?" Makoto pointed out with a sweatdrop.**

 **"That's why I'm so disappointed!" Hifumi cried out. "Since it's been messed with, it's not worth any value anymore! It became a secondhand, low purchase item!"**

 **"I think it was already like that." Hina deadpanned.**

" **Then…may I have it?" Celeste requested. "I might be able to find some sort of use for it." She then took the camera from the table. "If any of you would like to borrow it, please feel free to ask."**

" **Well…I can't really imagine any of us are gonna need to take any pictures or whatever…" Hina mused.**

" **Yeah, true…" Makoto agreed.**

"So why would you be interested in something like that?" Junko inquired towards Celeste.

In response, the gambler merely shrugged. "I don't speak for my future self, but perhaps it's in case another murder springs up, or a clue about the killing game is shown, and I would need to take a picture of it."

"Yeah, good point…" Makoto said, biting his lip. While he doesn't like the idea that a murder is inevitable, he can't deny that it will happen. Not after the last two trials.

 **Sakura was the next person to give out information. "I searched the entire 3rd floor, but…all the windows in the halls and the rooms were blocked off."**

 **Hiro groaned at this. "I wish they'd give this a rest already, like seriously! Gimme back my bright blue skies!"**

"For once, I agree with Hiro!" Hina groaned. "I mean, couldn't they have just used bullet proof windows or something?!"

"The mastermind wants to make sure no one gets in or out." Mukuro reminded with a sigh. "And from the looks of it, those windows might even withstand tank shells."

"Or a Sakura and Mondo powered punch." Leon added. "I doubt even a bulletproof window could endure something like that."

" **Just forget about it." Celeste simply told him.**

" **You make it sound like I dropped a nickel or something!" Hiro groaned.**

"Umm... I can't help but say this Celeste, but it seems as if you're enjoying the life there." Chihiro noted.

"I doubt that my future self is enjoying it." Celested responded calmly. It was a fair observation after all. "I think she probably just sees that it's pointless to think of the outside world, when all it would do is increase our desire to kill."

" **Just to be sure, I went from one end to the other, testing each metal plate. None of them budged." Sakura informed them. "It would seem escape via the 3rd floor is as impossible as we feared…"**

" **I see…" Makoto sighed in disappointed and resignation.**

"And there's only two floors left." Hina groaned. "Maybe there's a chance of hidden entrance there?"

"Doubtful." Byakuya said. "The mastermind sealed the place down to the last crack. From the looks it, the only way out is through the front door, with the remote control in hand."

"Which might mean they'll have to face and takedown the mastermind somehow…" Sakura sighed.

 **Kyoko was the next to speak. "There was a remarkable physics lab on the 3rd floor." She stated. "In the middle of the room, there was a machine bigger than anything I've ever seen before…"**

" **Oh yeah, apparently it's an air purifier." Makoto revealed to them.**

 **That got the group's attention. "Huh? What's something like that doing here?" Hiro asked in confusion.**

" **Is the device really that big?" Sakura inquired.**

" **I…really don't get it." Hina said with obvious puzzlement.**

"Why does the mastermind need an air purifier?" Chihiro asked, looking in thought.

"My best guess is so that we enough air." Taka answered. "Considering the way those windows are locked, they look like they're sealed airtight."

"That's plausible." Kyoko agreed, for the time being. However, it still feels like an incomplete answer.

 **The last one to speak up was Hina. "Um, I wasn't able to help much with the investigation," She admitted sheepishly. "But…I did make one discovery…"**

" **It didn't happen to be a donut-related discovery, did it?" Hiro inquired teasingly.**

 **That got a pout from Hina. "What does that even mean?"**

"It means your obsessed with the stuff." Leon said with a smirk.

The present Hina pouted as well. "I am not!"

"I'm sorry, but you are Hina." Sayaka agreed, also giving the girl a teasing smile. "You eat them whenever you get the chance."

That caused the swimmer to pout even more, as well as blush, while some of the others chuckled or smiled in amusement.

"Aahhhh! This isn't fair when everyone gangs up on you!" She cried.

" **Never-mind…it's about the nurse's office! Remember? There's one on the first floor, right?"**

"Oh yeah…" Makoto said in realization. "I forgot about the nurse's office."

"Can't see how, with the number of times you entered the nurse's room." Leon said with a smirk. That caused the luckster to blush in embarrassment while some of the others laugh.

Due to his luck, there was more than one time where he end up in the nurse's offices, to the point where there's a sign for him on one of the beds. He also ended up befriending the Ultimate Nurse, Mikan.

" **I remember." Sakura confirmed. "But it's locked."**

" **Actually…not anymore." The swimmer revealed.**

" **Did you find any protein in there?" Sakura inquired. "Or even vitamin supplements would be fine."**

 **Hina shook her head with a pout. "I did look, but no dice…just a bunch of headache medicine and over-the-counter stuff."**

" **I see…that's disappointing." The martial artist sighed.**

" **It is disappointing. Like the end of the world is already here…" Hina moaned in sadness.**

"That's a big exaggeration there…" Sayaka said with a sweatdrop, with a few others nodding in agreement.

' _ **I-I'm not sure it's that disappointing…'**_ **Makoto thought with a sweatdrop. Shaking the thought, his mind went onto another subject.** ' _ **Okay, I've heard what everyone else has to say. So now it's my turn…!'**_

"You plan on sharing the picture you saw with the others?" Mukuro asked curiously.

Makoto nodded. "It seems that way. Can't think of anything else my future self would want to say."

"I doubt anything fruitful would come from the attempt." Byakuya sighed, crossing the arms. "Most likely they'll write it off as manipulation from the bear."

"Maybe, but it couldn't hurt to inform them." Makoto argued slightly.

" **Hey, um…can I tell you guys something?" The luckster spoke up. "If found something that's…kinda been bothering me."**

 **The group stared at the lucky student. "What is it?" Kyoko inquired.**

" **I found this weird picture in the repository. Apparently Monokuma took it…" Makoto began explaining.**

" **A weird picture?" Hina repeated, her eyes widening a little. "You mean, like…dirty?!"**

" **No, not that kind of weird." Makoto quickly answered. "It was…a picture of Leon, Mondo, and Chihiro all together."**

 **Several eyes widen at this. "Those three…?" Kyoko voiced out in puzzlement.**

" **And the three of them were…laughing." The luckster continued.**

" **It showed the three of them together, laughing?" Hiumi asked. "When could it have been taken?"**

" **And there's more…" Taking a small breath, he revealed the last bit of information. "In the picture, there weren't any metal sheets covering the windows."**

 **The eyes widen even further. "Then…the picture wasn't taken here?" Sakura questioned.**

" **But I don't recall hearing anything about them knowing each other before coming to this school." Celeste mused in thought.**

" **You probably just imagined it!" Hifumi suggested. "Monokuma cast a spell on you!"**

" **No! I saw it, I'm telling you!" Makoto insisted.**

" **But if it wasn't taken before we got here, or after we got here…" Hina said, frowning in obvious confusion.**

" **I bet they're all still alive!" Hiro declared. "They left the school and then took that picture!"**

Cue several facepalms from the group. "Are you even attempting to use that brain of yours, Hiro?" Byakuya growled. "It's very clear that they're all dead!"

"And even if, by some miracle, those deaths were all fake," Kyoko continued for Byakuya. "Have you not been paying attention to how the school is sealed up?"

Hiro couldn't think of any defense for his future self. So he simply hung his head in shame.

" **That's impossible." Kyoko stated. "After all…" A flashback of Leon's execution was shown. "...we saw it with our own eyes." A flashback of Chihiro's corpse was next. "Either murdered or executed…" The third flashback was Mondo's execution.**

The flashbacks had a heavy effect on the group, especially the victims themselves. Leon clenched his fist tightly once again, while Chihiro felt himself shaking, wrapping his arms around himself. Taka felt himself becoming pale while Mondo merely looked down, his hair covering his eyes.

 **The mood grew heavy at the reminders.** ' _ **And they're not the only ones…'**_ **Makoto thought. A flashback of Junko's death then appeared.** ' _ **Monokuma killed Junko. And then there's…'**_ **A flashback of Sayaka's corpse was the last to be showed.** ' _ **...Sayaka.'**_

Mukuro bit her lips, slightly looking away from the flashbacks, while Sayaka clenched Makoto's hand tightly. Sayaka was kind of happy to know that Makoto still remembered her at that point, but it was a vexing thought nonetheless.

' _ **That wasn't an illusion. It was real, I'm sure of it.'**_ **He thought in grim confidence.** ' _ **They all died. There's no way any of them are still alive.'**_

The mood around definitely got back to dark. Junko huffed. "Way to kill the mood, Hiro!"

"H-Hey! I was just giving a suggestion!"

"An idiotic suggestion." She retorted. "Seriously, saying they're all alive? Why not trying rubbing salt on the wound?" Mentally, however, she applauded how Hiro darkened the mood. All this despair is like ambrosia for her!

" **So we have to figure out when that picture was taken…" Makoto said, after a moment of silence.**

 **However, that idea was quickly rejected by Celeste. "Monokuma most likely forged it. I can't imagine any other possibility."**

 **Makoto frowned at that.** ' _ **Forged…? Is that all there is to it?'**_

" **Stay focused, man!" Hiro scolded him. "Don't let Monokuma's bullcrap sidetrack you!"**

Hina let out a groan of annoyance. "I know we already discussed that they weren't gonna believe it, but it's still annoying that they're brushing it off like that!"

"I would have to agree as well," Celeste conceded with a sigh. "Especially since this is our future selves."

"But what's the purpose of that picture, anyway?" Makoto asked in slight confusion.

"Considering Monokuma's Modus Operandi, I find it highly unlikely that it accidentally left the picture there for someone to find." Kyoko thought to herself.

"Isn't it obvious that it's an attempt at sabotage?" Byakuya shot in from the side. "Whatever the reason, Monokuma knows that we all saw their deaths with our very own eyes, but to suddenly produce evidence that suggests otherwise, the worst case scenario is that we start having all sorts of doubts about our current situation."

"I... appreciate the insight but I feel like that's dangerous knowledge to have.." Leon jabbed at him.

"Yet, that is also how our enemy is working." Byakuya shot back.

"So then... I guess we're ok that we're brushing this aside in the future then?" Hina asked.

"As long as no one gets any weird ideas from this, I guess so." Leon said, particularly looking at Hiro.

"Hey! I didn't even get ideas yet!"

" **He's right. But more importantly…" Celeste said, changing the subject. "There's something that has been bothering me. I would like to discuss that."**

 **Makoto looked at the gambler curiously, forgetting about the picture for now. "What's bothering you, Celeste?"**

" **It's about Hina…"**

 **The swimmer in question looked surprise at that. "What? Me?!"**

" **You said your stomach hurt, did you not?" Celeste rhetorically asked. "But I believe that was a lie. What really happened?"**

A few eyes widen at this. "Hey, hey, whatever happened to not getting any weird ideas?" Mondo said.

"Hina is just a horrible liar." Celeste stated. "But the fact that she is lying means that she's most likely hiding something important. Honest people like Makoto and Hina tend to lie whenever the matter is important enough."

The two chuckled sheepishly at this, unable to deny that.

" **Huh?" Hina's eyes widen at the accusation.**

" **It varies from person to person, but whenever someone lies, they tend to have a way of showing it." Celeste explained. "It is called a 'tell' -something that you can't hide, no matter how hard you try. Whenever Hina lies, the tip of her nose gets just a little bit longer."**

" **What?! For real?!" Hina's hands immediately went up to her nose, to feel if the tip got longer.**

That earned some laughter from the group, while Hina pouted at being trick. "You always trick me like that, Celeste!"

"And you always fall for it." The gambler retorted. "It's not my fault you keep falling for the same tricks."

 **Celeste smiled at that. "Actually, no."**

" **Huh?"**

" **But your reaction just confirmed it - you were lying." Celeste said in confidence.**

" **Th-That's no fair!" Hina protested.**

The gambler giggled at that. "There are no rules that says I can't trick you like that."

"Well, there should be!" Hina argued, pouting even more.

 **The gambler merely giggled. "If you are going to lie, at least try to lie convincingly."**

" **Hina…be honest. Were you lying about your stomachache?" Sakura asked her gently.**

 **The girl was silent for a moment. After that moment, she hesitantly answered. "Y-Yes…"**

" **Why…?" Sakura asked. "Why would you lie about that?"**

" **Are you feeling guilty about something?!" Hifumi accused.**

" **No, that's not it at all!" Hina denied. "It just…I mean, I have a reason for it!" She sighed. "To be honest…I didn't have a stomachache. I did it cuz…even if I came and told you the truth, I thought you wouldn't believe me…"**

"And considering what it was, we can't really blame you for thinking that." Taka said. "While I still think it's better to tell the truth, even I know people would believe a truth like that."

"True that." Leon agreed, along with some of the others. "I mean, we ourselves aren't sure of what we saw."

" **The truth…?" Makoto repeated, tilting his head.**

" **...I saw it." She said.**

" **Saw what?"**

" **A ghost…"**

" **A ghost…?" Hifumi voiced out in shock. "You mean like, THAT ghost?!"**

"What the hell kind of ghost are you talking about?" Mondo asked in confusion.

"P-Probably in s-some anime." Toko grumbled. "Or s-something in his p-perverted head."

"I resent that!"

" **Is there more than one ghost…?" Kyoko questioned.**

" **B-But…I mean, ghosts are…" Makoto protested a little.**

" **See! I told you wouldn't believe me!" Hina exclaimed angrily.**

" **I-It's not that I don't believe you, but…"**

"I'm just having a hard time with what's real and what's not." Makoto admitted. "After everything we've seen, my future self is probably trying to decide which is which."

"Yeah, I can't blame you there." Hina sighed.

" **...I believe you." Sakura said in assurance. "No matter what anyone else will say, I will believe whatever you say, no matter what."**

That statement earned more than a few smiles from the group, especially from Hina. "Thank you, Sakura." Hina said gratefully.

"It's no problem, Hina." The martial artist said softly. "I'll always stick by your side, no matter what."

Tears filled Taka's eyes. "Such beautiful friendship you two have! As strong as mine and Mondo's bond!"

"It's definitely a strong relationship." Sayaka agreed, a smile upon her own lip.

"True friendship..." Chihiro muttered to himself with a smile.

" **So…can you tell us exactly what happened?"**

" **If you really mean that, Sakura…then okay. I'll tell you." Taking a deep breath, the swimmer began telling her story. "Umm, so…it happened last night. I was in bed, but I couldn't get to sleep. I just kept thinking about everything that's happened up till now. I ended up just getting more upset…" A flashback of Hina getting off of bed and getting ready was shown. "So to try and cheer myself up, I thought I'd go get some donuts."**

" **Donuts again?!" Hiro voiced out in slight disbelief.**

" **And you ignored the rule regarding nighttime…" Celeste said with slight reproached.**

" **I know, sorry." Hina apologized. "I feel really guilty about that…"**

" **Anyway, please continue." Sakura urged her.**

" **Well…so I left my room and headed for the warehouse…" The scene then cut to Hina in the hallway. "But then I started hearing a strange sound….it was coming from the direction of the bathhouse. So I headed that way…"**

 **The flashback cut to Hina entering the bathhouse next. "The locker was halfway open, so I took a look inside…" The scene finally went to Hina looking at the bright green head of the late Chihiro. "And I saw a human shape, surrounded by a pale green light. There's no doubt who it was…it was Chihiro!"**

"See?! It's a ghost! Chihiro's ghost!" Hiro shouted in terror, pointing at the screen.

"That's far from a clear view!" Byakuya retorted. "That doesn't prove that it was a ghost that we saw!"

"Then what was it then?!"

"D-Don't argue b-back with Master!" Toko hissed at Hiro. "He said gh-ghosts aren't real, s-so ghost aren't real!"

As they argued, Chihiro looked at the screen more closely. ' _The sound Hina heard did seem like something a computer would make…and that brightness fits that of a screen…could it really be Alter Ego?'_

 **Both Hifumi and Hiro screamed in terror. "N-No way…! A gh-gh-gh-ghost?!" Hiro screamed.**

" **It is simply not possible. You must be mistaken." Celeste dismissed quickly. "Just as in most case of 'paranormal' activity, it was born from your weakened mental state."**

" **Then all we have to do is go see for ourselves, right?" Sakura suggested. "Let's just go to the bathhouse and see what Hina saw."**

"W-W-Wait! Your want to go see the gh-gh-ghost?!" Hiro screamed in disbelief. "Are you crazy?!"

"If it's just the head, I doubt anything will happen." Sakura replied calmly. "And besides, this ghost didn't appear to harm Hina."

"That doesn't mean it wouldn't put a curse on us next time!"

"Oh for the love of god shut up Hiro." Leon sighed in annoyance.

" **It is a waste of time." Celeste scoffed.**

" **Maybe, but…there's no harm in it, right?" Makoto said to her. "If we don't find anything, that'll be the end of it."**

" **You're gonna go try and see a gh-gh-ghost…?" Hiro asked incredulously. "Is that really a good idea? It might put a curse on you!"**

" **You can wait here if you want." Hina told him.**

" **I don't want to be alone! Take me with you!" Hiro sobbed in fear.**

"The gh-ghost might take me if I'm alone! Please, don't leave me by myself!" Hiro exclaimed, covering his head as if he could ward off any ghosts.

" **What are you going to do, Celeste?" Kyoko inquired.**

 **The gambler sighed. "I suppose I have no choice…." She said reluctantly.**

" **How about you, Mr. Ishimaru? Are you gonna wait here?" Hifumi asked the moral compass. His answer was silence. "...I guess that's a yes." With that, group went out of the dining hall and to the bathhouse.**

"Please don't let the ghost curse us, please don't let the ghost curse us…!" Hiro prayed, his hands clasped together.

Leon clenched his teeth. "While I don't believe that it's a ghost, I just hope it ain't anything bad."

"You and me both, dude." Mondo agreed.

 **The next scene was the group inside the bathhouse. "I-It was right here…" Hina said nervously, pointing towards the opened locker. "I saw it right here in the dressing room!"**

 **Hiro shivered a little. "I'm getting goosebumps."**

" **Ia! Ia! Cthulhu Fhtagn!"**

" **Shut up! What if he actually shows up?!" Hiro shouted at Hifumi.**

"Yeah, I don't want Cthulhu to show up! So please shut up!" Hiro screamed, holding his head.

"Oh boy…" Sayaka sighed. "Hiro is really freaking out now."

"No argument there." Makoto replied with a sweatdrop.

" **Hina…where is it you saw Chihiro's ghost?" Sakura asked her.**

" **Well, I heard a sound…" Hina began explaining. "And when I opened the locker…I saw a kind of…pale outline of Chihiro…"**

The group glance at one another nervously, cold sweat building up on their forehead. They really hope this isn't anything bad. The killing game is already bad enough. They don't need the supernatural to deal with.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next up, the class will watch as the survivors meet Alter Ego. Make sure to review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	46. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 4

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, first thing, I would like to say sorry for taking so long with this chapter. My laptop basically ended up broken, unable to have it battery charged up, so I had to buy a new one. Took a couple of days for the new laptop to get delivered. But the chapter's here now. So I hope it will be worth the wait.**

 **So, here, they're gonna meet Alter Ego. Also, there's a nice surprise for you guys around the end of the chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Hey guys, long time no see. I hope you're all enjoying your summer because I went from student to sloth real fast this past month. Anyways, just like the rest of you, 2 weeks after the last chapter, I've been spending every other day anxiously checking my email for the notification from Spirit, only to get it in the middle of a road trip. I only got back two days ago and voila, half of summer already gone. Anyways, lets get the questions out of the way and get this chapter out!**

 **Q: Since the mention of Mikan, will there be other mentions to Class 77?  
L: Mikan was mentioned since she was an actual nurse in Hope's Peak, and that it was also a very convenient time to mention her. Future mentions might happen if they just so happen to conveniently line up with the direction that Spirit is taking.  
S: And there have been mentioning towards Class 77 in previous chapters, so it isn't the first time it has happened.**

 **Q: How will Hajime/Izuru be dealt with in the followup Class 77 story (That's still ages from now.)  
L: I don't know, but here is what we do know about the Izuru Kamukura project: It was long and extensive, presumably first started even before Munakata's generation. It entered "human-experimentation" phase during the freshman year of Class 77-B (A.K.A Mahiru and friends). Hajime volunteers sometime during that year, long enough for Chiaki to establish herself and bond the class (IF I recall correctly), but before Class 78 becomes a thing. IF we decide to stick straight with the facts, chances are, Hajime probably won't be there (He's still being experimented on.) But who knows? It's so far from now I haven't even thought about it until I read this and checked the wiki for facts.  
S: I think I've discussed this before. Due to the timeline of events, it's best not to bring Hajime/Izuru into the followup story. Like Lucky said, Hajime is still being experimented on in the current timeline we're using, and I plan to stick straight with the facts.**

 **Q: Why doesn't Chihiro speak up about Alter Ego?  
L: He's a shy boy :) Also, he was working on a number of other AI projects for his company, as well as sometimes checking the school computers. It could've been something else (Or, Alter Ego could refer to a set of AIs who knows?)  
**

 **Q: Will you continue the story of this "present" Class 78 after they finish watching?  
L: That's a good question. I think at that point it'll just be slice-of-life stuff and random shenanigans with each of them knowing what could have possibly happened in an alternate universe. It's completely up to Spirit if he wants to.  
S: I might. I might not. It'll probably be an interesting fic to do, if I decide to do it.**

 **Q: Will DR3 or UDG be getting one of these stories too?  
L: I don't know, but man, if I'm still editing/writing DR fiction by then, I'd be very surprised.  
S: Possibly. Can't say for certain when it's so far down the future.**

 **Q: Will Makoto end up with X or Y?  
L: It's a harem story. Minus Sakura and Toko.  
**

 **Q: Will the class' seating position change?  
L: Hmm, I'm not sure if I can answer this one so I'll leave Spirit to it.  
S: Don't know. Possibly, if it serves a purpose if the plotline, major or minor.**

 **Q: Did bombing incident happen yet?  
L: No. Nothing bad happened yet. (Unless you count malicious thoughts in which case Junko is 100% guilty)  
**

 **Q: UPDATE PLEASE  
L: UPDATE HERE!  
S: With an added surprise at the end!**

Ch 45: Watching Ch 3: A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall, Galactic Hero! Part 4

 **The group gathered close to the opened up locker, with Makoto reluctantly at the front. He slowly walked to the locker and nervously looked inside.**

 _ **"Huh?"**_ **Confusion was littered on Makoto's face as he peered inside the locker.**

 **There was nothing inside other than a laptop. "A laptop? What's something like that doing here?"**

The nervousness the group was feeling was quickly turned to confusion for most. "A laptop in the bath house…?" Taka questioned in befuddlement.

"Like Makoto asked, what is it doing here?" Leon asked with a frown. "And how did it get there?"

"This is indeed an odd development!" Hifumi also commented to no one in particular.

Chihiro bit his lip to keep himself from blurting out something. It really was Alter Ego! Hina must've saw the AI on the laptop. Then that means the laptop must have came from...

" **I remember seeing this…" Kyoko said in slight realization.**

 **Makoto's eyes lit up in realization as well.** ' _ **Oh, that's right!'**_ **A flashback of Makoto looking at the laptop in the library was shown.** ' _ **I saw it in the library before.'**_

"Oh, so it was in the library." Makoto voiced out. "Guess we didn't notice the first time."

"But it's broken." Hiro moaned in disappointment. "Aw man. We could've used it to call for help."

"I doubt the mastermind would let us have an actual working computer." Byakuya remarked. "Besides, we would need access to the internet to be able to connect to the outside world."

"And something tells me that the bear isn't willing to share any wi-fi he has." Leon pointed out.

 **The scene then transitioned back to the present. "But how did the laptop get from the library…to here?"**

" **And… I guess it's in sleep mode, but… the power is definitely on." Kyoko noted.**

That caused some eyes to widen in surprise. "But didn't that flashback mention that it was broken?" Taka questioned.

"Chihiro must've gotten his hands on it before…you know," Leon suggested. "If anybody could have fixed it, he would."

"No argument there." Mondo agreed. That got the programmer's cheek to flush a little.

"On another note," Junko spoke up. "Did Hina actually thought that the light on the screen was a ghost?" That caused the group to pause for a moment, with Hina freezing up in shock and embarrassment.

"Unbelievable." Byakuya sighed in annoyance while the others laugh. "Getting all worked up over a simple light."

"Makes me wonder how she got dressed properly." Celeste said, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"I-I didn't expect for a laptop to be in a locker!" Hina protested, her cheeks flaring up in embarrassment.

"To be fair, not many would Hina." Sakura tried to reassure her.

" **Huh?" Makoto's eyes widen in slight surprise. "But I thought it was broken…"**

" **I would bet that Chihiro fixed it." Sakura deduced. "After all, he was known as the Ultimate Programmer…"**

" **More importantly…" Celeste interjected. "Hina, you said you saw a green light, yes? Surely you did not mistake the light of the monitor for a ghost?"**

 **That caused Hina to freeze up, embarrassment filling up her body.** " **I am surprised you are able to dress yourself in the morning." The gambler deadpanned.**

" **Oh man." Hifumi chuckled. "If I had the 'loves clueless girls' attribute, I would've fallen in love big-time just now! I'm so glad I don't have it…"**

" **Well I didn't really expect to find a freaking laptop inside a freaking locker, okay?!" Hina argued with a fierce blush on her cheeks.**

" **It's okay. I mean, anyone can make a mistake like that." Hiro reassured. "As a matter of fact, one time I thought I'd spotted a Grey alien, but it turned out to be a tadpole!"**

That earned several sweat drops from the viewers. "How the hell can you mistake an alien for a tadpole?" Leon remarked. "That's like thinking a baseball is a basketball!"

"Hey!" Hiro protested. "Anyone could make a mistake like that!"

"Only fools would have those delusions." Byakuya bluntly stated. "And you've already proven that you're a fool."

"Y-Yeah, that's r-right! N-no one would make t-that kind of mistake!" Toko also threw out, pointing her finger at Hiro in a very 'Toko-like' fashion.

Hiro hung his head at this. "Some friends you guys are. I try to help someone and y'all make me depressed…" He mumbled to himself.

" **Don't compare what happened to me with one of your stupid delusions!" Hina protested.**

" **Don't be mean!" Hiro exclaimed in slight anger. "I was just trying to make you feel better! What if I get all depressed forever now?!"**

" **But listen, isn't this really strange?" Makoto cut in. "What's this laptop doing in here?"**

"A good question." Celeste agreed. "Why in the bathhouse, of all places?"

"Perhaps Chihiro, or somebody else, was trying to hide it." Kyoko suggested. That got the other's attention.

"Hide it?" Hina asked in confusion. "Why would anyone want to hide it from us?"

"And if they did want to hide it from us, then keeping a locker opened isn't a good way to hide it." Leon pointed out.

Kyoko shook her head. "Not from us." She corrected. "But from Monokuma."

"Huh?" Was the response from several of them, confusion plastered on their faces.

"You'll see why I made that conclusion." Kyoko reassured them.

Junko, however, immediately knew what she was talking about. ' _Guess she noticed the lack cameras around, huh? No surprise there.'_ Junko mentally pouted. ' _Can't believe future me wasn't able to put cameras in there... maybe there's hidden microphones? Nah. That wouldn't be fair. Oh well!'_

" **Maybe someone hid it here." Kyoko suggested.**

" **If that's the case, we found it pretty easy…" Hiro pointed out.**

 **Kyoko, however, shook her head. "Whoever put it there, I don't think they were trying to hide it from us."**

" **Huh…?" Makoto tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"**

" **Haven't you noticed?" Kyoko asked them. "There's one big difference between this room and all the others."**

' _ **A difference…?'**_ **Makoto looked around the room, and quickly, he spotted the difference Kyoko was talking about.**

When the camera moved around, the more perceptive of the group quickly noticed what was different. "There's no camera." Makoto spoke out loud.

"A perfect hiding spot from Monokuma." Byakuya said in realization.

"Exactly." Kyoko nodded. "With that information, it's clear that whoever put it here was trying to hide the laptop from Monokuma."

"More specifically, what the laptop holds inside." Mukuro mused.

The new information made Chihiro more and more sure that it was Alter Ego that's in the computer. However, he kept quiet, cause while he's sure that it is Alter Ego, there's still a chance that it may be something else, and he doesn't want to expose one of his secret project by mistake.

" **There's…no surveillance camera…"**

" **Precisely." Kyoko nodded. "There's no camera in here. Which means, this it the one spot where the mastermind is blind."**

" **So you're saying someone put the laptop here so the mastermind wouldn't know about it?" Hifumi reasoned.**

" **And what Hina saw wasn't the ordinary glow of a computer screen." Kyoko deduced, looking at the computer. "It was…the figure of Chihiro, shining pale green."**

"D-Did Chihiro possess the computer?" Hiro stuttered nervously, his ghost phobia coming up once again. "Is that how the computer is on?!"

That earned quite of few facepalms. "Um, it's not that Hiro…" Chihiro spoke up. "It's most likely that it's… a secret project that I've been working on."

That got the other's attention. "Ooh! Secret project? What is it?" Sayaka asked.

Chihiro shifted a little under the stares he's getting. "U-um... I technically can't say what it is to those who don't know what it is so maybe if it's revealed, I can talk about it."

"Ahh. Contracts are painful things aren't they?" Sayaka conceded with a sympathizing smile. She knew all too well how bad it feels to be restricted by a contract.

" **I think it would be best if we investigated this laptop in a little more detail." With Kyoko's statement, everyone gathered around the computer, with her and Makoto side by side. "So first of all, we have to wake it up."**

" **Right…" Makoto then hit random buttons on the keyboard. Instantly, the screen began to glow pale green before displaying the desktop.**

" **There-" Kyoko pointed to one of the icons. "The icon on the far left."**

" **What is it…?" Makoto narrowed his eyes at the title. "It says…Alter Ego?"**

The name reveal caused Chihiro's eyes to widen heavily. So he was right! It really is alter ego!

The look of shock was something everyone noticed. "You recognize the name, Chihiro?" Celeste required.

Before Chihiro could answer, Kyoko spoke up. "Alter Ego is the AI you've been working on, wasn't it?"

Chihiro's eyes widen at this, as did several others. "U-Um, y-yes. It is." Chihiro confirmed, a bit startled from Kyoko's deduction. "But.. How did you know?"

"I've seen it on your computer screen every now and then." Kyoko explained. "Besides, I have heard that you were working on some AI."

"So this is the AI Chihiro has been talking about beforehand?" Sakura questioned.

This time, Chihiro answered. "Yes, it is. It's one of them. While it doesn't have full self-awareness, it is self-learning as it does different tasks."

"Do you think it could be of any use to use?" Byakuya inquired.

The programmer looked a bit unsure. "M-Maybe."

"' **Alter ego' literally means… 'another self', I believe." Celeste translated, looking in thought. "In the field of artificial intelligence, it it not uncommon to create different aspects of a personality. You can consider it something like… a pen name."**

" **Could you let me see it, Makoto?" Kyoko asked. The luckster nodded and moved aside to let Kyoko use it. She then moved the cursor to the Alter Ego icon, and when she doubled clicked it, the screen suddenly went dark.**

 **A moment later, a voice spoke from the computer. "Master! You're here!" The screen then lit back up, with Chihiro's face taking up the digital green screen.**

"N-N-Noooo!" Hiro screamed in terror. "I-It's a ghost!"

"No, it isn't Hiro!" Chihiro quickly reassured the clairvoyant, before anyone could snap at him. "It's just my AI!"

"But your head is floating in the computer!"

"It's called alter ego for a reason, fool." Celeste said tightly, summoning every ounce of patience she has to not snap at Hiro. "It's not impossible to have your face be an avatar."

" **I-It's a ghost!" Hiro wailed in terror. "Buddha and sweet baby Jesus, save me!"**

" **Calm down. It's not a ghost." Kyoko told him firmly.**

" **Huh?"**

" **Then…what is it?" Hina asked nervously.**

" **I'm sure if we just talk to it, we'll find out." Kyoko then began to type, her hands a blur. She typed, 'What are you?'**

" **Hello, nice to meet you. Chihiro Fujisaki…" The computer greeted. It then gave a nervous giggle. "I always get so embarrassed introducing myself."**

 **Makoto looked at the computer in amazement. "Th-That voice…the tone and everything…"**

" **It's…Chihiro." Sakura stated.**

" **Alter Ego…" Kyoko murmured to herself. "I've heard about this kind of AI program, but I've never seen one for myself."**

" **I remember Chihiro talking about an AI program he was working on…" Makoto murmured. "But not about Alter Ego. Can you tell me more about it, Kyoko?"**

" **It's how Chihiro got his title as the Ultimate Programmer." She explained to the luckster. "The AI lives in a computer, and by repeating different tasks, it gains knowledge and grows bit by bit. Apparently, Chihiro used a support vector machine and reinforcement learning to develop it. Eventually, he came up with a breakthrough in artificial intelligence design."**

Kyoko's explanation confused some of the others. "Supporting vector machine? Reinforcement learning?" Leon repeated, clearly confused. "What the heck are those things?"

"They're basically learning mechanisms for computers." Makoto told Leon, as well as anyone else that's confused. That's the same explanation he got when Chihiro was explaining AIs and computers to him in previous conversations. Anything more and well... it'd cause a lot of headaches.

" **Supporting vector machine…? Reinforcement learning…?" Makoto repeated in confusion.**

" **To put it simply, it's a learning mechanic for computers." Kyoko said simply.**

 **Hifumi then spoke up. "If you wanna know more… just Google it, okay?!"**

"...Did Hifumi just break the fourth wall?" Makoto slowly asked, shocked at what he just heard. Everyone else looked equally baffled.

Byakuya rubbed his head, a massive headache growing inside. "How much of this is going to defy logic? How much?"

"I get the feeling you're going to regret that question." Leon deadpanned.

"Are you idiots? If you don't know something, you Google it! Everyone knows that!" Hifumi shot back angrily. However, no one decided to entertain him and simply ignored him.

" **But if this AI continues to grow, it will become more than just a piece of software to people." Kyoko continued, ignoring Hifumi's comment. "Some say that an AI like this might someday replace people."**

" **And that is why it is called Alter Ego? A fine choice then, I must say…" Celeste mused. "It can create memories, have thoughts, and 'grow up'. The process isn't much different from how humans work. If it were to raise your own AI that way, it would make perfect sense to refer to it as your alter ego."**

" **A second, perfect personality that can never forget or grow old. That's what Chihiro created…" Kyoko summed up. "That's… Alter Ego."**

Leon let out a whistle of amazement. "Damn! That's incredible, Chihiro!"

"I agree." Taka said in awe. "You essentially created a person inside a software."

"You definitely earned the position of the Ultimate Programmer." Sayaka said, looking also amazed. "I want to see the AI myself!"

"Same!" Hina agreed with enthusiasm. The compliments from his friends caused said programmer to turn beet red in embarrassment.

" **Kyoko…" Makoto looked a the lavender haired girl in confusion and curiosity. "How do you know so much about this?" At this, Kyoko was silent.**

"She's being tight-lipped again." Junko pointed out. "Is it because she doesn't want to reveal how or she doesn't know how?"

"It's probably the former." Kyoko concluded easily. "I believe I must have seen Chihiro working on it somewhere."

"Yeah, that make sense." Makoto agreed.

"Saying just enough to be cooperative while keeping the rest to yourself. A smart choice considering those circumstances." Celeste praised.

 **Celeste decided to speak up. "Anyway, so he fixed the broken laptop and put his own program on there. That is what this means, yes?" She rhetorically asked. "Then he brought the machine to this dressing room, where the mastermind would not be able to see it."**

" **Hmm, but you know… all this about 'Master' and whatnot… yes, yes…" Hifumi murmured loudly to himself. "I… I believe I'm on fire…"**

"..." The group stared at Hifumi blankly, a loss for words as to what to say. Chihiro curled up a little, feeling more than a bit uncomfortable, as well as a bit protective of his AI programming.

Hifumi felt himself sweating a little at the stares. "W-What?"

"...The fuck is wrong is you?" Mondo asked blankly. "Did you forget that it's a computer program?"

"And a male one at that dude." Leon added just as blankly.

The fanfic creator shifted a little at that. "Well, um…"

" **I thought you were only into 2D…" Hiro pointed out.**

" **This is the most excellent 2D possible!" Hifumi declared passionately.**

" **But he's a guy! And also a computer program!" Hiro pointed out further, looking creeped out.**

" **Oh, that aspect is no problem." Hifumi dismissed.**

The blanks stares then increased or turned into creeped out stares, with some of them moving away from Hifumi. Byakuya rubbed his forehead in disgust. "And I thought your hobbies couldn't be more revolting…"

"I'm really considering using a bat this time, Hifumi…" Leon warned him, causing the fanfic creator to sweat a little.

"I think I'm gonna keep Alter Ego away from Hifumi…" Chihiro muttered to himself, Mondo, and Taka. The two nodded in agreement with the programmer.

"That'll probably be for the best, little dude." Mondo agreed.

"Hey come on! I don't even know that yet!" Hifumi complained. This is his future self they're talking about!

" **That…aspect?" Hiro repeated in bafflement.**

" **Anyway, let's talk to him a little more." Kyoko then typed away rhythmically. "How much do you know about what's going on?"**

 **The AI quickly spoke up. "Master only gave me a general idea…" It stated. "But I do know things have become very grave. He found himself caught up in this without warning…"**

 **Kyoko quickly typed in another question. 'Why are you here?'**

" **Are you asking what Master had planned for me?" Alter Ego inquired. "Well… he wanted me to analyze the massive number of files stored on his laptop."**

The word 'files' grabbed everyone's attention, especially Kyoko's. Numerous different expectations circled around the various thoughts of Class 78 as they sat with anticipation to their questions.

" **I believe the files are related to the school, but the protection on them is surprisingly strong. So it's taking a little longer than I thought."**

"Files?"

"A number of them?"

"Possibly about that school?"

Questions quickly filled the room, a spark of hope and excitement entering their hearts. Could they actually get some concrete answers? Something that could figure out the mystery of the future Hope's Peak Academy?

" **But here's what Master must have been thinking…" The AI continued. "The fact that the files are protected so tightly means they must contain some important secret. For example, perhaps… the secret of this school."**

"Is this for real?" Hina cried out impatiently, already finding it hard to contain her curiosity and excitement. "Will we actually find out what happened to the school?"

"Among other things, perhaps." Byakuya mused. "This is the future we're watching, after all. We might find out what happened from now to the killing game."

"And maybe that could help them find a way out…" Makoto continued, hope building up in his voice and arousing murmurs of agreement amongst those around him.

Meanwhile, Junko frowned, her analytical mind trying to figure out how/why her future self possibly left such big information in there. But quickly, she concluded that she purposefully did so, knowing the content doesn't have anything too important. Nothing that would help get out, at least.

' _Ooh, that'll definitely smack their feeling of hope right in the face!'_ Junko thought eagerly.

 **Alter Ego's reveal struck most of them silent. While they were trying to process what they heard, Kyoko pushed forward and asked the next question. 'How much long until everything's unlocked?'**

" **Umm… it's gonna be a while." Alter Ego answered. "But I'm definitely gonna do it, so you can just leave it to me!"**

" **So because of how long it would take, he designed Alter Ego to handle the workload." Kyoko deduced.**

" **Smart. It also means that the work remains uninterrupted, even after his death." Celeste added.**

"Agreed." Byakuya said with a nod. "A contingency plans that remains uninterrupted even after his death."

"One that'll help all of us." Makoto sent a smile towards the programmer. "Looks like your skills are going to help after all."

That stunned Chihiro a little before a small smile slowly entered his lips. It was oddly reassuring that he was able to help out his friends even after his death. Although something still didn't exactly sit right with him, he was at least happy that his skills could help the remaining survivors!

 **Kyoko got back to typing. 'Keep it up. But be careful not to let the mastermind notice you.'**

" **Don't worry. I've got a secret plan all ready, just in case…" Alter Ego reassured her. "Actually, I can see what's going on using my built-in webcam, so if anyone suspicious shows up… I'll just scream for help real loud!"**

" **It's a pretty… basic plan, I have to say…" Makoto stated.**

"That's… indeed a pretty basic plan." Junko said in slight disappointment. ' _Come on! If you're going to have a secret thing against me, don't make it such a let down!'_

"Well, it's not like there's much it could do." Leon remarked with a shrug. "Still, it's a decent plan."

"Though there's one flaw about it." Mukuro pointed out, gaining the others' attention.

"How so, Mukuro?" Hina asked in confusion.

"I think one of the others will point it out, soon."

" **That is fine during the day, but night time is a concern…" Celeste pointed out.**

" **Huh?" Makoto turned to the gambler in confusion. "Why?"**

" **Have you forgotten? All our rooms are completely soundproof." Celeste reminded him. "Once we close our doors, he can scream as loud as he wants, but we won't hear a thing."**

"Oh." Makoto frowned at that. "That's true."

"Then how about have each of us guard the bathhouse every night?" Sayaka suggested.

Mukuro shook her head. "No, that would only make the mastermind more suspicious and more likely to investigate the bathhouse."

"Then the whole plan is busted anyway." Mondo frowned. "Shit. Then what other options are there?"

Mukuro thought to herself that there was a plan that she could've stuck to, if she was still alive that is. Somewhat risky, but still a plan nonetheless. She looked over at Kyoko, expecting the same plan to out.

 **Makoto frown a little at that. "Okay, then how about once it's nighttime, we each take turns guarding the dressing room?" He suggested.**

 **Kyoko shook her head at that. "There's a good chance the mastermind would notice us all going in and out of the dressing room like that." That caused Makoto to frown a bit further.**

" **Then… what can we do?" He asked her.**

" **Once nighttimes comes, I'll leave the door to my room open." Kyoko stated. That caused the group to look at her in shock.**

The present class also looked at the detective girl in shock. "Are you crazy?!" Hifumi squealed. "You'll practically invite one of us to kill you!"

"Fatty's right!" Leon agreed. "If you leave the door open, one of us might see a chance to murder!"

"Are you sure about this Kyoko?" Hina asked, looking worried. "I mean, I don't want to doubt any of us, but it's very risky doing that."

The others are also looking at the detective with various amounts of worry, Makoto especially.

Kyoko sighed. "Don't worry about me too much." She told all of them. "If someone does try to do so, I'm not gonna be an easy target. The only ones that I probably couldn't fend off is Sakura and Genocide Jack, and I have doubts that the former would try to kill me while the latter only focuses on cute boys as her targets."

"I'm glad you have that much faith in me." Sakura said, a small smile on her face. Kyoko merely nodded to her in response.

" **Then there's no way I can miss Alter Ego yelling."**

" **B-But… if you leave your door open all night, then…" Hiro pointed out nervously.**

" **There's a chance I may become a victim myself, I know." Kyoko admitted before determination entered her eyes. "But I'm not as weak as you may think. I wouldn't go down without a fight, I assure you."**

Junko whistled. "Wow. A lot of confidence there."

"Can't say that it isn't well-earned." Taka stated. "Kyoko is a surprisingly tough individual, that's for certain."

"No argument there." Hina said, though she still looked concerned. "I'm still worried though."

"We all are." Sayaka stated, biting her lips. "But we'll have to trust that future Kyoko knows what she's doing."

Makoto, meanwhile, look at Kyoko with admiration. He has always admired the confidence Kyoko has, that self-assurance that she'll be alright or that she'll get the job done, but not to the point of arrogance like Byakuya.

' _ **There's an undeniable strength in her voice when she said that.'**_ **Makoto thought in admiration.** ' _ **She's totally confident that she will be okay.'**_

The others could hear the admiration in his thoughts. Some of the girls frowned a little in jealousy while Kyoko wore a small smile, flattered of Makoto's admiration towards her. She knew that he did admire her, of course, but this was definitely new.

Meanwhile, Makoto was flushed and looking down, embarrassed at having his thoughts be read yet again. He would rather not have Kyoko, or the others, know what he thought about her.

' _ **That confidence is somewhat similar to Byakuya's tone, but at the same time different.'**_ **He noted.** ' _ **Yeah, it had an entirely different feel, for sure. Like… someone who'd been dropped onto a battlefield, versus someone who'd been born on a battlefield. I feel that's the fundamental difference…'**_

The comparison caused Byakuya to frown a little. Especially when some of the others began speaking. "Yeah. You could definitely learn a thing or two from Kyoko." Leon remarked. "She could definitely teach you how not to be a jackass."

"And maybe get you off that game mindset." Hina huffed, glaring at him.

"Someone who'd been dropped onto a battlefield." Sayaka repeated with slight venom. "That's definitely describes you."

"Not to mention a few other fucking things to describe you." Mondo added, also glaring at him.

Before Byakuya could lash out at them, Makoto quickly spoke up. "Hey guys c'mon. He knows this already, no need to drive him mad."

The four of them sighed at Makoto's forgiving, but let it go for now. Byakuya didn't say anything to Makoto for that, merely turned his head back to the screen. But Makoto did see the heir wave his hand at him from his usual crossed-arms sitting position. That got a smile from the luckster.

 **His thoughts were interrupted when Alter Ego spoke up. "Umm… would you mind if I asked a few questions?" It inquired. "I haven't seen Master for a while. When you got here, I thought it was him, but… is master…?"**

The group froze at the question. "Shit." Leon cursed.

"Indeed." Celeste sighed. That's definitely a fresh wound, both for themselves and their future counterparts.

 **Kyoko froze for a moment, looking unsure as to what to do for a brief second. But she recovered quickly, and began typing. 'Chihiro is dead. Mondo killed him.'**

Mondo clenched his fist, his face twisting with guilt. Chihiro, seeing this, hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder, silently saying that it's alright. The biker slightly turn his head towards the programmer before relaxing, unclenching his fist.

 **The AI looked sadden at this. "I see…" It said sadly. "To be honest, I knew all along. I knew the chances that Master would survive this situation were very low. So… I was prepared for this moment…"**

" **Somehow I feel kinda… sorry for her…" Hifumi said, looking down.**

" **I can't even imagine how it must feel to lose your 'other self'..." Hina said sympathetically.**

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "It's an AI. It doesn't have feelings."

"It has more feelings than you do!" Hina retorted. The heir narrowed his eyes at her for that remark.

Before he could say a retort for that, Toko spoke up. "S-Stop insulting m-my master!" Toko growled.

"Like hell we will!" Mondo growled. "He deserves it!"

"You haven't seen the chapter two trial Toko!" Sayaka interjected with a glare. "So don't go trying to defend him!"

"Don't bother wasting your breath with Toko. Like you said before Mondo, the dude can do no wrong in her eyes." Leon remarked.

"And what right do you have to judge me, when two of you have killed while one had planned to?" Byakuya retorted with slight anger.

The three flinched at that before getting even more angry. "Why you-!" Mondo growled.

Before they could come to blows, Makoto quickly spoke up. "Guys! Stop fighting with each other! We're not getting anywhere like this!"

"Makoto's correct! And while we're not in the killing game itself, we can't bicker amongst each other and drive each other apart!" Taka said in support of Makoto. "So let's calm down and resume this viewing!"

"Also, picking on him like this isn't fair. I'm sure he learned his lesson by now." Sakura added her voice of reason.

Mondo let out a growl, but with a pointed look from Taka, as well as a pleading one from Chihiro, he settled down. Hina, Sayaka, and Leon frowned, but kept quiet, while Toko merely let out some quiet grumbles. Byakuya merely faced the TV, his face stoic as ever.

Kyoko let out a sigh at this. She can tell that seeing what their future counterparts are doing are causing conflict and arguments amongst the group. If the animosity continues, then there's no telling what will happen.

Junko silently giggled to herself, unknowingly having similar thoughts to Kyoko. This keeps up, and the conflict will lead to the road of despair.

" **It is a a simple computer program. It does not have feelings." Celeste pointed out coldly.**

" **Are you sure about that…?" Hifumi replied doubtfully.**

" **Anyway, that's enough for today." Kyoko interjected. "If we linger here too long, the mastermind will start to suspect something." Kyoko then typed one more sentence. 'I'll come back later.'**

" **Yes, please do! It's a promise, okay?" Alter Ego responded back. "Bye-bye!"**

' _ **The AI seems totally different from when we'd first arrived. He seems… upbeat'**_ **Makoto noted to himself.** ' _ **Was it because he was following his programming? Or… could he have actually been worried about us?'**_

Celeste let out a giggle. "It seems you're reading too much in Alter Ego's words, Makoto."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that... I think?" Makoto replied with a slight blush. "Chihiro's AI just seems so… human. If anything, Chihiro deserves a praise!"

The programmer blush once again at the praise. "Th-Thanks."

 **Hiro hummed to himself, drawing the others' attention. "What's wrong, Hiro?" Makoto inquired, curiously.**

" **Oh nothing, I was just wondering if we might be able to get this laptop online." The fortune teller suggested. "Then we could call for help from the outside…"**

" **But this is just a dressing room. I don't think you can get online from here…" Hina pointed out.**

" **Well if we take it out and find somewhere that does have online access…!" Hiro persisted.**

"Is he nuts?!" Leon asked incredulously. "The mastermind would sniff them out in a heartbeat!"

"Mr. Kuwata is correct! Way to risky there!" Hifumi exclaimed.

"And now isn't the time for unnecessary risks." Mukuro added in.

" **Th-That's way too dangerous!" Hifumi nervously pointed out. "The mastermind would find out in no time!"**

" **Oh, yeah… true." Hiro replied sheepishly.**

" **This is no time to for taking needless risks. For now, I'll monitor the progress of the file analysis." Kyoko told them all. "I'm confident we'll uncover some kind of clue once it's finished."**

" **This feels like a detour more than anything else, but… I suppose it can't be helped." Celeste sighed.**

Hina pouted. "You know, you could have a little more faith Celeste."

"Hina dear, we're not even sure what the files are about." Celeste replied back. "So it's understandable that my future self is doubtful about what it holds."

"For all we know, it could all be junk files!" Hifumi proclaimed.

" **Well, for now all we can do is wait for Alter Ego to finish his work." Sakura stated.**

" **So, should we get going?" Hiro asked.**

" **Indeed." Kyoko nodded.**

 **Hifumi then turned to the computer, an odd look in his eyes. "Goodbye! We'll be back, I promise!"**

A small frown was etched on Chihiro's face, while some of the others sighed or rolled their eyes. Yes, he'll definitely need to keep Alter Ego away from Hifumi.

" **C'mon Hifumi, let's go!" Hina sighed in exasperation, giving him a look.**

" **O-Okay…" With that, everyone left the dressing room.**

 **As soon as they were out, Hina let out a joyful shout. "Isn't it awesome?! I ended up doing something totally awesome, right?!" She asked the others.**

 **And suddenly, Monokuma popped up. "Dun da-da duuun! Hina has gained enough experience to level up!" The bear announced. "So… what was this awesome something?"**

Many of the group jumped at his sudden appearance, then went pale at his question. "Oh crap!" Hiro exclaimed in fear. "This isn't good!"

"Don't say anything suspicious!" Hifumi yelled out at the screen.

"Hina, you fool!" Byakuya hissed. "You might as well reveal Alter Ego boxed and wrapped!"

"Sorry!" Hina wailed, looking extremely worried and guilty.

' _ **M-Monokuma!'**_ **Makoto exclaimed to himself in worry.**

" **You guys seem in remarkably good spirit." The bear noted. "Did something happen?"**

" **N-No, nothing in particular…!" Makoto nervously lied.**

 **But unfortunately, Monokuma could see through it. "Ooh, keeping secrets? No fair! I demand an exclusive interview!"**

"Says the hypocrite who's keeping a ton of secrets!" Hina argued back. "Give yours out first!"

"Yeah! How about you give us some goddamn answers, huh?!" Mondo growled.

" **Denied, denied, super denied!" Hifumi exclaimed at him.**

" **Y-Yeah, just because you demand something, doesn't mean we have to do it!" Hina quickly agreed with Hifumi.**

 **The bear tilted his head at that. "Do it…?" He repeated. "You mean, like, do it do it?"**

Several eyes widen at this. "Huh?" Hina said, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. "What does he mean by 'do it'?"

"I think you can guess, Miss Asahina." Hifumi responded, letting out a small, perverted chuckle. He ducked when Leon threw a baseball at him before turning towards the baseball player. "Hah! You missed Mr. Kuwa-" A moment, the baseball hit the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Yeah, I figured you were gonna dodge eventually." Leon remarked with a smirk. "That's why I made sure it can bounce back towards you when you dodge." The fanfic creator let out a grumble at that.

" **Wait, what?" A blush crept up Hina's cheek. "What do you mean, 'do it' do it?"**

" **Eww gross! You said 'do it'!" Monokuma pointed out childishly.**

" **What?! You said it first!"**

"Yeah! Don't make me out like the pervert here!" Hina reacted childishly before pouting. "Pervert."

"Makes me suspect that the mastermind is a guy…" Celeste remarked dryly.

' _Wrong!'_ Junko remarked in her mind with a giggle. It's so fun, messing with their expectations like that, even if it's something minor like gender.

 **Celeste then spoke up. "We were just talking about going to the bathhouse. We have not had a chance to relax in some time." She lied smoothly.**

" **...Huh?"**

" **But unfortunately, the bathhouse is not divided into men and women sections." The gambler sighed. "So we decided to do rock-paper-scissors to decide which group would go first. Hina won the match for us, and that is why we are all pleased."**

Despite knowing how talented Celeste is at lying, the group were still amazed at the lie she manage to create on the spot. "Wow. Good job Celeste." Chihiro said in awe.

"Yeah! You really saved us there!" Hina said with relief.

"Your skills seems to be helping us." Sakura added.

"I-Its about time..." Toko muttered.

Celeste merely smiled, her ego filling up a little from the praises.

" **Y-Yeah, that's right!" Hina quickly agreed with. "Speaking of which…" She turned to Makoto, Hiro, and Hifumi. "Okay, boys! Why don't you head on back to the dining hall or something? We're gonna take a nice, long bath!"**

" **Ahhh, jeez, what're we gonna do, right?!" Hiro said, pretending to sound disappointed. "We lost, fair and square!"**

"A good thing the rest of you manage to stick with the lie." Celeste replied. "Otherwise, we may have been in some trouble."

"No doubt there." Leon remarked.

" **Well, ladies? Shall we go?" Celeste inquired towards the other girls. With that, the girls went back into the bathhouse.**

' _ **Wow.'**_ **Makoto thought in amazement as he watched the girls go.** ' _ **Celeste didn't hesitate on coming up with the ruse, and her poker face didn't even flinch.'**_

Celeste giggled at that. "I'm glad my lying abilities impressed you, Makoto."

"Hard not to be." Makoto replied with a sheepish shrug. ' _Although... I'm not entirely sure if that's something to be proud of exactly...'_

" **U-Umm…" Hifumi stuttered, unsure as to what to say, before exclaiming, "Nuts and dammit! We totally lost! Another day without getting to take my very first bath here!"**

" **Y-Yeah, but… tomorrow for sure!" Hiro reassured Hifumi. "You'll definitely get that bath tomorrow!"**

Celeste shook her head. "Are you trying to reveal the lie?" She sighed in slight annoyance and disappointment. "You are trying way too hard."

"Hopefully, the mastermind will not recognize that your acting." Sayaka replied with a small sweatdrop.

' _Don't count on it!'_ Junko sang. She probably saw a mile away that they're lying. Not even the Ultimate Gambler could get pass her.

 **Makoto couldn't help but sweatdrop a bit at this. "Okay, so… should we head back to the dining hall now?"**

 **Before either of them could say anything, Monokuma spoke up. "Hooooold on!" He exclaimed. "Something's strange here… VERY strange!"**

"Huh?"

"What he's talking about?"

"Oh don't tell me we got figured out already!"

" **Strange?" Makoto tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"**

" **What's strange is, this is the perfect the perfect chance for you to to sneak a peek!"**

At first, the group was befuddled, processing the information. Then, when it was processed, they reacted.

"WHAT?!" Hina shouted, eyes wide with a massive blush. "He wants them to peep on us?!"

"THAT IS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE SCHOOL'S CODE OF CONDUCT!" Taka screamed, red in both embarrassment and anger.

"That is a violation of ANY code of conduct!" Leon corrected.

Both Makoto and Chihiro were silent, their eyes wide and their faces heavily flush at the suggestion.

Celeste sighed in slight aggravation, willing her cheeks not to flush. "This is going to be embarrassing."

"That is if they accept the suggestion." Sakura pointed out.

"It is Hifumi. He'll eagerly accept the suggestion."

"And Hiro will probably go with the flow." Kyoko added with a sigh.

" **...Huh?" Was Makoto's response to the suggestion.**

 **Hifumi let out a straining noise at that. "Th-That's…!" After struggling with his words, he exclaimed. "You're absolutely right!"**

Immediately, Hifumi was pelted with not one, but five baseballs. "Oww! Five baseballs?!"

"You heard what your future self said! Don't try to deny it!" Leon retorted. "And it beats pissing off the girls even more than they already are!"

Sure enough, the girls looked angry at Hifumi's words. Hina, Junko, and Sayaka gave him angry glares while Sakura and Celeste have their own darkened looks on their faces. Both Kyoko and Mukuro have stony, neutral looks on their faces, and Toko hissed at him with disgust.

"...Future me?" He squealed out pitifully. That did not lessen the stares/glares at all.

" **I thought you were all about the 2D…" Hiro reminded him with a sigh.**

" **All of you need to shut up, sit down, and listen to what I have to say…" Monokuma told them. "An opportunity like this doesn't come along very often… it's the ideal setting of a man's fantasy!"**

"Or the ideal ingredient of men's worst nightmares." Byakuya remarked. "Are they seriously considering listening to Monokuma?"

"They should not!" Taka shouted, who's also glaring at the fanfic creator. "That is highly disrespectful to the ladies in the baths!"

"Damn straight!" Mondo agreed, his face firm and arms crossed. While they were many things he and his bro disagree with, there are also plenty of things they do agree with. Treating woman with respect is one of those things.

 **Makoto, who was listening to all of this, felt his eyes go wider and wider. "Wait a minute, guys. We shouldn't-"**

" **Come on, Mr. Naegi. We cannot let this chance pass!" Hifumi declared, grabbing his arms. "We must see our man's fantasy!"**

" **I admit, I want go in to." Hiro said, grabbing Makoto's other arm. "There's something I've always been wondering, and this will give my answer."**

" **Why are you dragging me into this?!"**

"Yeah, why?!" Makoto exclaimed, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

Hina also felt her blushing, the thought of Makoto seeing her nude causing her to feel hot, while Kyoko and Celeste had to look away from everyone when they felt their own cheeks slightly heating up.

Byakuya sighed, shaking his head. "You seem to always be dragged into stuff like that."

"Yeah, dude. Still can't decide if it good luck or bad." Leon said, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Sayaka and Mukuro felt a mix of relief and slight anger. Relief that they don't have to go through the embarrassment of their crush seeing their privates. And slight anger at the fact that he's going to _other_ girls' privates, albeit unwillingly.

 **Monokuma let out his signature giggle as Hifumi and Hiro dragged Makoto towards the bathhouse. "Have fun in your man's fantasy…!" He told them. "Have a smashing good time!"**

"Wait wait wait wait... YOU'RE ACTUALLY DRAGGING ME INTO THIS?" Makoto cried out helplessly. The other two guilty boys couldn't answer him with all the pressure coming from the girls.

 **Hiro peeked inside while Hifumi kept on holding Makoto, to see that the girls are already in the baths. Once he sure the close was clear, the three went inside. "So they really are taking a bath. Is this what Celeste meant about lying convincingly?"**

"I definitely regret lying about this now." Celeste groaned.

"AHH! This is partially your fault too!" Hina cried.

"Hina... that's kind of unreasonable.." Sakura sighed next to her.

" **Mr. Hagakure, please refrain from pointless whispering. We're deep in enemy territory here…" Hifumi whispered to him. "Just up ahead is the bathhouse. And there awaits… a great dazzling passion!"**

"So, only into two 2D, huh?" Leon deadpanned.

Hifumi shifted a little at that. "Th-This is probably just inspiration for my 2D art!"

"Whatever the reason, none of them justifies peeping on the girls!" Taka scolded loudly. "Cease this operation at once!"

"Yeah! Stop this!" Makoto cried defensively.

"Even if they can hear you, you're probably just wasting your breath." Byakuya sighed.

All the girls glared at Hifumi and Hiro, who shrunk in their seats. "Wh-Why aren't you glaring at Makoto?" Hiro whined.

"You dragged him into this!" Sayaka pointed out fiercely, but still turned her head towards Makoto with scary eyes. "He wouldn't have done this willingly! Would you?"

"O-Of course not!" Makoto quickly gave his reply, both hands up in surrender.

"Oh but believe me. He's not entirely innocent either." Kyoko said while throwing Makoto a 'you're-going-to-get-it-later' look. "I'm sure he could have put up a much more convincing resistance."

"T-That's-!"

"That is indeed true. He has offered a stronger resistance to crimes less severe than this." Celeste added, also looking at Makoto.

"W-Wait a minute-"

"D-Don't tell me Makoto actually has the same kind of thoughts as... THEM?!" Hina asked incredulously, while giving him a look full of horror.

"C'mon! I'm telling you-"

"Makoto. I'm terribly disappointed in you."

"I'm afraid I have misjudged you quite a bit Makoto." Mukuro and Sakura said at the same time with heavy tones.

"L-Look, I'm s-sure we can talk this out!"

"Hoooh? And how are you going to talk your way out of that?" Junko asked, pointing at the screen.

" **Mr. Naegi, your on point…!" With that statement, the fanfic creator pushed the poor boy into the door.**

" **Be careful, don't get us caught!" Hiro told him while he and Hifumi got right behind him. "If Ogre finds us, we'll be meeting up with Hades in no time…!"**

"Ah." Was the only sound that came out of Makoto's mouth as he watched his future self press deeper into hell. There was no defense for this. He knew that he had every opportunity to back out. Hifumi and Hiro weren't that much stronger than Makoto, and even if they tried to physically force him, the girls would surely hear the ruckus outside. He could only sit in his chair mentally preparing himself for the aftermath of such a reckless thing. Even if he was roped into this, there was no way he was going to walk away with just a few scars.

Meanwhile,

"I think we'll be going there sooner…" Hiro whimpered, feeling the air in the room drop further and further.

"I fear you may be right, Mr. Hagakure." Hifumi gulped, wondering if he should curse or praise his future self for doing this.

Chihiro curled himself up and bury his head into his knees, while Taka and Byakuya closed their eyes and turned away from the screen, and Leon and Mondo merely turned their heads away. Whatever resolve they had prior to not look, it was a daunting task when it was shown on a huge TV right in front of you. Whether they each individually wanted to admit that however, was a different story.

 **Makoto, knowing he cannot escape, closed his eyes and slowly pushed the door open enough for them to peek inside. And once he did, the camera slowly turned white before cutting to the girls taking their baths, with only towels on them.**

When the camera cut to the girls bathing, regardless of whether they wanted to look out of desire, or eventually fell to their curiosity, there was a moment of silence as everyone took in the view on the screen. To some, it was a treat. To others, it was a moment of embarrassment. However, that small silence was quickly replaced with chaos as the girls finally snapped out of it.

"AHHHHH! EVERYONE STOP LOOKING!" Hina cried out, launching herself straight out of her chair and running around in a panic trying to cover other people's eyes by waving her hands in front of them. She somehow subconsciously steered clear of Byakuya and Toko's corner though. However, considering how Toko isn't even trying to block Byakuya's view, but rather encouraging him to look at her, anyone would avoid them.

"H-Hina, calm down!" Sakura rose to go after her embarrassed friend, but was equally embarrassed at the scene.

"I-I didn't look! I swear!" Leon cried defensively as Hina changed from trying to block their vision to lightly beating people.

"L-Liar! You were totally looking at the screen!" Sayaka angrily yelled next to him while violently shaking him by the collar.

Meanwhile across the room, Celeste and Mukuro had somehow round up Taka, Hifumi, Hiro, and Mondo on the couch and was glaring down on them with a dark look.

"W-W-Woah! Hey! I-I'm not the culprit this time!" Mondo feebly tried to defend himself.

"Y-Yeah! I d-didn't look! E-Er.. I mean.. I did! BUT ONLY A LITTLE!" Taka rambled out, not knowing that he was also digging his own grave.

"Oh? Only a little? So you still saw it then." Celeste spoke back in an extremely passive aggressive tone while raising her clawed nails.

"WAAAHH! HAVE MERCY! I SWEAR ITS MONOKUMA'S FAULT!" Hifumi wailed on his knees.

"YEAH! IT'S ALL MONOKUMA'S FAULT! WE COULDN'T HELP IT!" Hiro cried with him.

"Regardless of who's fault it is, it's punishment time." Mukuro said in a creepily happy voice while cracking her knuckles. No one noticed that it somehow resembled Monokuma's speech.

"Wow…" Junko whistled while observing the chaos around her. "Makes me even more glad that I'm vetoed from this killing game." She glanced at Hifumi and Hiro, to which Mukuro was going to town on them. "Especially with those pervs looking." ' _Heh, suckers!'_

Kyoko, who had also decided not to partake in the chaos, turned to Spirit, who had wisely paused during the fading transition and turned off the screen. "Why show us this?" She asked in an irritated voice.

Spirit shrugged. "Couldn't find a way to pull it out." He said. "Plus, it serves as a good distraction for all the serious stuff."

"True." The detective conceded. It was a small price to pay to get their minds off of chapter two for the moment, as well as anything else in the beginning of chapter 3. However, even if it was a small price to pay, she was still disappointed that it had came to this. She looked over at the chaos. Hifumi, Hiro, Mondo, and Taka lay defeated scattered around the couch with Chihiro nervously poking them for signs of life. Byakuya had probably left to the privacy of his own room while she imagined Toko to be right outside his door. Leon looked as if he had been mauled to shreds as he looked almost unrecognizable on his chair.

When she turned to Makoto, he was still in one piece. However, he had wisely adopted a very formal sitting position while sweating out of fear for his life as the girls around him wondered what to do. Suddenly, he made eye contact with her, a silent plead for a lighter sentence. Though she felt sorry for him, Kyoko instead chose to wear a mischievous smile and pretend to have not noticed. She could practically picture Makoto's defeated face as she turned away. After all, he brought this upon himself... Sort of. Anyways, it could be considered a mercy that she didn't partake in punishing him since the other girls seemed more than happy to carry out her share.

As Kyoko watched from her seat with slight amusement as the others finally decided on a punishment, her heart reminded her that such a lively scene would not last long.

 **And that's the end. So, yeah, I decided to do the peeping scene for you guys. Sort of an apology for being so late with this. Hope I did it justice. Next up, their future selves is gonna be receiving their next motive. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier:**

 ***Ding Dong* 5 bodies have been found! Please proceed with the rest of your day as if nothing has happened! Upupupu~**

 **Anyways, I know I mentioned that we should be back to our original update interval of ~1.5 weeks per chapter like... a couple chapters back but I think for real this time. Also, Fate Grand Order is a cool game. 1% Drop rate for SSR seems more like a 8% to me o_o**


	47. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 5

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, while Lucky was editing the last chapter, I used the time to start on this one. Now, I'm able to get this to you guys a bit early (If Lucky doesn't get delayed with editing). So, in this chapter, Monokuma is going to reveal the third motive to the group. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Got this one done relatively fast too. Tis' another quick short chapter to get things rolling again. I don't have much to comment on this time so... onto the questions!**

 **Q: Will Chiaki be included in the Class 77 fic?  
L: What kind of question is this? Of course she is. She didn't die yet. However, explaining the matter to her is a whole different issue that I'd rather not think about until we get there :D  
**

 **Q: Will you be showing the Remnants of Despair's Killing Game?  
L: Umm... the Remnants of Despair is actually Class 77 (soo... Mahiru and friends). But based on your question, it sounds more like the Student Council Killing Game (A.K.A the episode of absolute despair) (On another note, Mukuro singing was cool) (I'm not saying I justify Mukuro singing in front of a massacre though). Personally, if you're going to make me watch that repeatedly and then write it out, and then insert character reactions to it... I think you're a monster. Spirit? What says you?  
By the way, I don't mean to make fun of you or anything, but it was one of those scenes that really hit home when I first saw it. I had to watch that across 2 days ):  
** **S: I agree. Anyone wanting us to write it out are sadist, as well as masochist for wanting to read it (Though the latter could be said for us if we do write it out).**

 **Q: Will Class 77 story be a bit awkward since its in Hajime's POV and aside from Chiaki, they don't know him that well?  
L: You have a point there, but they can also have a fresh point of view BECAUSE they aren't familiar with him. It's sort of like they're playing a game about themselves, but through the eyes of another person. I'm sure it'll work out... somehow.  
S: I agree, it could potentially be awkward, but it could also not be so awkward, with the help of Chisa and Chiaki, both of whom know Hajime personally (More so Chiaki). And as they watched the 2nd Danganronpa game in his point of him, they can slowly grow fond of him.**

 **Q: Don't you think it's too early to release the motives?  
** **L: Well... on the other hand.. the plot progresses faster! :D  
S: Plus, you can take that up with Monokuma.**

 **Q: How will they react to the bad end of the game?  
L: I don't think Spirit plans to do the bad end as of now.  
S: You guessed correctly. Wouldn't really serve any purpose for the group.**

 **Q: Will Byakuya try to smooth things out with the rest of the class?  
L: Are you kidding me? Its Byakuya. Even though he feels bad, telling him to apologize like that is waaayyy out of his nature. If you're familiar with Gilgamesh from the Fate series (Not the Fate Zero or Fate Stay Night one), they're kinda similar.  
S: Agreed. Byakuya and apologies are two things that doesn't mix together.**

 **Q: Will Class 78 find out they're fictional characters?  
L: No. I would like them to live in their own universe in peace :)  
S: Again, agreed.**

Chapter 46: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 5

Fifteen minutes later, Byakuya presumably ran out of patience and came down stairs with a very obedient Toko behind him. As they did, they saw everyone back in their usual seating arrangement, except that all the guys looked half dead. Byakuya blinked twice while taking in the scene before him, before proceeding onto his chair as usual.

As he passed by Spirit, Spirit spoke up: "Just in case you're wondering, while I had treated most of their wounds, they still feel some of the aches and pains."

"And I assume by the lack of groans, that Chihiro and Makoto were spared."

"Yeah... its not fair really." Leon answered, letting out a grumble. "Makoto always gets off easy." There were some grumbles of agreement from Hiro, Hifumi, and Mondo.

"Doesn't mean Makoto is not going to be punished." Sayaka added, giving her crush a mischievous smile. "We got a special punishment for him after this chapter."

The luckster, who haven't moved an inch in his formal sitting position, let out a shiver and a blush. Byakuya looked at him for a moment, as well as noted the glints in many of the girls' eyes, before letting out a sigh. ' _Its not worth it.'_ He convinced himself before getting back on his recliner, with Toko doing the same thing. He then turned to Spirit. "Alright, lets continue."

Their host nodded before un-pausing the TV.

 **The next scene switched to Makoto, Hiro, and Hifumi gathered in the dining hall. Makoto was sitting at the table, his face blank, while Hifumi look very happy. Hiro merely looked astonished.**

" **I'm not sure how to put it, but… I always feel refreshed after a job well done!" Hifumi stated.**

That earned several angry glares from the girls, causing the fanfic creator to wince. "O-Other me…?" He said weakly, though the glares didn't lessen.

" **A 3D body isn't so bad in its nude state, I suppose."**

"Tempted to throw a baseball at you right now." Leon grumbled. "And not just for that comment. Luckily for you, my throwing arm is still aching."

" **But still… I just can't believe it." Hiro said, still looking astonished and puzzled. "Like, for serious… Ogre's a girl?!"**

That caused the group to look at the fortune teller incredulously. "You still didn't think Sakura was a girl?!" Leon questioned incredulously.

"Why were you doubting Sakura?!" Hina asked angrily.

"I- well-, can you blame me?!" Hiro said defensively. "Look at Ogre!"

"Quit calling her that!"

"While Sakura's physique is unusual compared to most females, you could still see clearly that she is a girl." Byakuya stated, sighing in exasperation. "Even a monkey like Mondo or a dimwit like Hina could figure it out."

"Dimwit?!"

"Who are you calling a monkey, jackass?!" The heir ignored the pre-mentioned Ultimate's indignant squawks.

 **While the two were talking, Makoto was completely silent.** ' _ **We're going to hell for this, aren't we…?'**_ **He deadpanned in his own mind. He sighed.** ' _ **Oh well. At least I still had fun, and got an eyeful.'**_

' _Shut up, future me!'_ Makoto winced at the disapproving looks he got from the girls, as well as the tightened grip Sayaka has on his sleeve. He didn't notice the light blushes from Kyoko, Celeste, and Hina, however.

"Why didn't you resist harder, anyway?" Celeste asked with a 'mask' already in place. "You resisted from more minor crimes than this. And you aren't as perverted as Hifumi nor have idiotice curiosity like Hiro."

Makoto rubbed the back of his head. "I think of an ideas as to why…"

' _ **Better than having to think about all this…'**_

That got the attention of others. "Yeah, I thought so." Makoto sighed. "It's to get my mind off the killing game, at least for a little bit." He looked down. "Anything would be better than having to think about who else could possibly die, or those that died before. That's what my future self is thinking, I think…"

The girls' eyes softened some at that. Honestly, they couldn't blame him for that. While he does have strong willpower, there's only so much he could take. Still…

"You won't get off your punishment easily, Makoto." Celeste said with a smile. "I so do look forward to doing that."

"Yeah, I didn't think I would…" Makoto replied with a nervous chuckle and sweatdrop.

 **A moment later, the girls, who just finished their baths, came back in, smiles plastered on their faces.. "Ahh, man what a nice bath!" Hina sighed blissfully.**

" **Getting a chance to stretch out and relax after all this time was a true pleasure." Celeste stated.**

" **Indeed." Kyoko agreed.**

Junko made a silent groan of boredom. They're being too happy right now. Too comfortable too quickly. Her future self needs to get the despair ball rolling soon!

 **Sakura was the next to speak. "Normally, after a long bath I like to make myself a protein shake, but…"**

 **Just as she said, Monokuma popped up. "Sorry, no time for that!"**

 **And just like that, their smiles faded away. "That's what I figured…" Sakura sighed.**

The others also groaned. "Of course." Leon grumbled. "He's here to ruin the happy feels."

"Why can't he let us have some peace for a moment?" Hina whined.

"We're talking about a despair-loving monster, Hina." Taka said dryly, not yet recovered to his usual upstanding self. "Any sort of happiness is poison for him."

"Aand a clear sadistic one at that!" Hifumi added in.

" **...Huh?" Monokuma tilted his head in confusion at that.**

" **We were just saying in the bath how it was about time for you to get up to something." Celeste revealed to him.**

" **After seeing how happy we were, an evil little monster like you would never let that last for long." Kyoko added.**

Junko mentally pouted at that. Was she really getting that predictable? That's the last thing she wanted!

 **Monokuma hung his head in depression at that. "Y-You're all so terrible to me…" He sniffed. "Everyone's so cold and mean! Even after I got presents for you all!"**

" **...Presents?!" Makoto exclaimed in disbelief, with the others looking just as incredulous.**

And just like their future counterparts, the others are incredulous. "Is the bear fucking joking?" Mondo asked bluntly.

"I doubt it." Byakuya mused. "Though I don't think it would be the gifts we would want."

"Most likely, it's another motive." Kyoko guessed.

Some of the others paled a little at that. "Th-That soon?!" Hina exclaimed.

"Like our future selves said Hina, the mastermind wouldn't let us be at peace for long." Kyoko told her softly. "And the motives are a clear way to ruin our happiness."

"I know, but…" The swimmer looked downcast. "I still remember the last trial. I don't want to see another motive, so soon…"

"Trust me, we know how you feel Hina." Makoto said sympathetically. "But you have to remember that watching this is for our own good."

"Makoto's right. We need to watch the events of our future so that we won't let it come to pass." Sakura stated, placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

" **Hmmm? Oh, have I got your attention?" The bear said tauntingly. "Puhuhu. Then let's head to the gym, where your presents await! No questions, no dilly-dallying! Get a move on, and everything will become clear!" With that, he left, leaving the remaining students nervous as to what his 'gifts' are.**

" **W-What is it…?" Hifumi stuttered nervously. "What are you scheming this time?!"**

" **He's probably going to repeat the same thing again." Kyoko said. "Providing us with a motive to get things moving…"**

" **...Again?" Hina's face fell at this. "I don't want to… I don't want to do this anymore…"**

" **Me, neither. I'm, like, totally traumatized…" Hiro groaned.**

" **It's okay. We have Alter Ego." Kyoko reminded them. "I'm sure he'll find something that'll help us. So for now… we have to just endure it, come what may." With that, the group reluctantly left the dining hall.**

The group feel themselves tensing up for what's to come. "Let's hope Alter Ego will be help to find something to help us." Taka said, gripping his knees.

"I'm sure it will." Makoto said, some of his optimism coming back up. "After all, the AI is made by Chihiro. Alter Ego won't let us down!"

Chihiro felt himself blush at the confidence Makoto has in him and his AI before determination build up in his eyes. This is his chance to help his classmates. Alter Ego won't let them down!

 **The scene changed to the group walking into the gym, with a still traumatized Taka along with them. When they got in, they saw Byakuya and Toko already waiting for them. "To be kept waiting by the likes of you." The heir scoffed in disdain. "Rest assured, if we had access to firearms, you'd all be dead."**

Several of the students frowned at the sight of the future Byakuya. "Oh great. We gotta deal with him." Sayaka grumbled.

"Yippee." Junko drawled with little to no joy.

" **Byakuya…?" Makoto looked at the heir curiously. "Did you get here early?"**

" **Did you forget how to walk? Is that why you're late?" Byakuya mocked, ignoring the luckster's question. "It's simple - right foot, left foot. Right foot…"**

Suffice to say, that got the group rattled up real good. Leon huffed "Man... what a pain.."

"How does he act all arrogant, after what he have done and said?" Hina cried out angrily.

The heir stayed silent, not wishing to trade blows with his classmates right now. He hates seeing this, seeing how arrogant was before. And the angry comments from the others does not help.

 **Celeste giggled at that. "The same as always, I see. Her, on the other hand…" She, along with the rest of the group, turned to Toko, who was very still and silent.**

"Look like Genocide Jack is gone for the moment." Sayaka noted while Toko sighed in relief. "Must've sneezed while off screen."

"And it seems like Miss Fukawa's a bit traumatized at the moment." Hifumi added.

" **Oh, she's back to her Debbie Downer self, huh?" Hiro commented on in slight shock.**

" **I heard what sounds like a sneeze, and she was back to her old self." Byakuya informed them.**

" **So now she goes from manic to depressive whenever she sneezes?" Hifumi asked, a bit baffled. "Seems kinda late to add that into the mix…"**

" **Why does e-everyone keep making fun of me…?" Toko growled at them. "I hope you all win the l-lottery and get hit by a bus…"**

"Okay, now she's back to the Toko we all know and keep away from." Leon remarked.

Toko glared at the baseball player. "I especially h-hope that you win and g-get hit."

"Fortune followed by misfortune." Junko mused. "Gotta admit, that's a good one."

"Say, wasn't that how you got into Hope's Peak Makoto?" Leon redirected the attention to him.

"Uhhh... let's not talk about that right now.." Makoto nervously replied back, both with the intention to keep things going as well as avoiding embarrassment.

" **So when you wanna say something mean, then you can talk, huh?" Hina sighed in annoyance.**

" **Anyway, it looks like everyone's here." Sakura said, changing the subject.**

" **Which means…" As Kyoko said that, the scene changed.**

 **Once again, the camera lowered from the ceiling to behind the remaining Ultimates. When the camera was right behind them, it zoomed in to the podium, and Monokuma jumped on it once again.**

" **It's look like everyone's here! So then, let's get started!" Monokuma stated, as lively as ever.**

" **Come on, out with it." Byakuya demanded. "What kind of motive have you prepared for us this time?"**

" **Whatever you subject to us, we will not break." Sakura stated in determination.**

" **Yeah, that's right!" Hina immediately agreed with. "We're not gonna lose to you ever again!"**

They wanted to agree with the future counterparts. Want to say that they're not gonna let a motive influence them…but the last two chapters chipped away their belief.

Right now, all they could do is hope that another murder doesn't happens.

 **The bear merely giggled at that. "You don't have to get so defensive. Calm down!" He told them. "I've decided to change things up a bit this time."**

"Change things up…?" Chihiro grew nervous at that. "What does he mean by that?"

"If it's a motive to kill, I doubt it's anything good." Taka stated with a frown.

" **Up till now, I've been using the WOOSH of the North WInd to get you all moving. But sometimes you gotta use the Sun to light a fire under someone's bat!" He ended that statement with laughter.**

"I'm not liking where this is heading…" Hina said nervously.

"Neither do I." Sakura agreed, tense. The others were just as nervous or tense, wondering what the mastermind got in store for them.

 **The bear then held his arms open wide. "So without further ado, I give you… THIS!" Suddenly large stacks of money falled in front of him, forming a large, neat pile. "Ten million dollars!"**

Immediately, there nervousness and tenseness was replaced by pure shock. "Ten million dollars?!" Hiro shouted.

"He has that much money?!" Hifumi exclaimed, mouth wide open.

"I figured that the mastermind's finances are high considering the extra interior designs and elaborate executions," Celeste murmured loudly to herself. "But to able to throw away that much money at a chance for one of us to kill each other?"

"How much does the mastermind exactly have?" Byakuya questioned, trying to figure that out in his mind. While he doubt that it could match the Togami family's assets, it must be incredibly substantial.

"Something tells me we're better off not knowing." Junko remarked, rubbing her head nervously. "The mastermind is already scary as it is." Internally, she's congratulating herself for her superb fashionista job and countless contacts already willing to do her bidding.

" **I've prepared this graduation present for whichever lucky student makes it out of here alive!" He announced. "Whaddya think? It's ten million bucks! Ten million smackaroos! It's like totally wowie wow wow, am I right?!"**

As soon as that was revealed, eyes immediately turned to Hiro and/or Celeste. Something which the two noticed. "H-Hey, why are you looking at me for?!" Hiro said in panic.

"The two of you are easily the greediest people out of all of us." Byakuya stated bluntly. "Which makes you the easily susceptible to this motive."

"C-Come on, guys! Do you really think that bad of me?!"

"Yes." Several of them said blankly and simultaneously. Not even Makoto came up to defense, knowing full well how far his greed could take him.

Celeste merely smiled while Hiro hung his head. "Well, you do not have to worry about me." She told them. "My gambling gave me a very significant sum, so there's nothing you need to worry about."

Makoto frown, but quickly hid it from the others. He could tell that she's lying. The money she made, while large, is not enough for what she aims to do. Add to the fact that staying in the school means keeping her from that dream, and it's definitely worrying. Despite the dream itself being a bit shallow.

Celeste was having similar thoughts. She could see that her future self is getting quite frustrated with how the way things are going, due to her demeanor in the beginning of the chapter. The ten million dollars, which is more than enough for her plans, along with the chance to get out, is very tempting.

But she made no plan to reveal the others her thoughts. To her, it isn't too worrying. She is confident that her future self can resist that temptation without fell. She doesn't need to murder. She won't. Besides, she shouldn't worry him like this.

 **Makoto stared at the bear and the ten million dollars in front of him.** ' _ **So that's the motive you've prepared, is it?'**_ **He then spoke up outloud. "Ten million dollars is…"**

" **It's not nearly enough." Byakuya interrupted coldly.**

 **The group was silent for a moment. Then, Kyoko spoke up. "When it comes to motives, money certainly is the gold standard, so to speak." She said. "Whether it's in a mystery novel, or the real world... "**

" **B-But…" Hina spoke up, looking determined. "There's no way we kill each other for money!"**

" **She's right. You can't simply purchase a person's life." Sakura stated firmly.**

" **You can say ten million or however much, I don't give a crap! For serious!" Hiro exclaimed.**

" **Yeah… they're all right…" Makoto said, his voice quiet at first. As he continued, his voice got louder. "Whether it's ten million, or any other amount of money… no," He shook his head. "Not even just money. From now on, no matter what you do… we won't kill our friends!"**

Their future selves' resolves manage to bring up some of theirs. "They're right. This time, his plan is doomed!" Taka stated confidently. "None of us here would kill for money! I know I wouldn't!"

"Same here!" Hina immediately agreed. "There's no way I would kill any of my friends for cash, no matter how much!"

"Neither would I." Sakura said softly. "Like my future self said, you can't purchase someone's life."

"Look like this chapter might be the murder free one." Leon remarked with a grin.

Some of the others, however, have doubts. Some of those people being Byakuya and Kyoko. Neither of them forgot the lesson of judging others by your own standards. They knew a few would most likely kill for ten million dollars.

Junko, meanwhile, felt confident about the motive. Yeah, she knows most of them wouldn't kill for some quick cash, but this motive is for her most greediest classmates.

 **The bear wasn't dissuade at the least. "C'mon, stop trying to act tough." He taunted. "The most important thing is to live a pure and moral communal life!" With that, he left, leaving his words hanging in the air and the sum of money on the stage.**

 **The group was silent for a moment. Finally, Hina spoke up. "Th-There's nothing to worry about, right?" Hina asked nervously. "Nobody would kill for money… right?"**

 **Byakuya scoffed. "Have you so quickly forgotten the lesson from last time? You can't judge others by your own standard." He reminded her.**

The group's confident is dimmed at the reminder of that lesson. "W-Well, this might be different this time!" Hina insisted. "After all, none of us here are willing to murder for money!"

"Have you forgotten about Celeste and Hiro?" Byakuya reminded her. "One is a gambler while the other is an embarrassment of a scammer."

"Hey! I resent that!" Hiro protested angrily. "What about Hifumi and Toko? Maybe they would want to get ten million dollars!"

Toko snorted. "E-Even if I wanted to, which I d-don't, I-I can't. Even a d-drop of blood makes me faint."

"And don't try to bring up Genocide Jack." Celeste said before Hiro could say anything. "Remember that she would only kill boys that she deems adorable. She doesn't kill to survive or for money."

"And I gain more than enough money thanks to my fanfictions!" Hifumi interjected, offended. "I don't need any of the money Monokuma offers!"

"Anyway, back to my previous point, we cannot rule out murder." Byakuya stated. "It's clear that there's gonna be a murder every chapter. There's no point trying to deny it. And you're clearly in denial or foolishly idealistic if you try."

"Not to mention, someone may still kill regardless of the motive." Mukuro decided to add. Although the chance was extremely low, the desire to get out can still get to them.

Several of the students couldn't help but flinch at that. They wanted to disagree, to argue against it… but they knew Byakuya and Mukuro is right. Not even Makoto could deny it, no matter how much he wants to.

" **Y-Yeah, there might be someone here who's having m-money problem!" Toko quickly agreed with the Togami heir.**

" **Personally, I've earned over one million dollars from my gambling efforts." Celeste stated. "My life is… comfortable."**

 **After hearing that, Toko decided to turn towards Hifumi. "H-Hifumi? What about y-you?!"**

" **I'm a super popular content creator!" Hifumi shouted in offense. "I don't have any problem making enough to buy my comics and DVDs!"**

" **Th-Th-Then…!"**

" **Just stop." Sakura interrupted firmly. "Pressing others about their personal finances is… ugly."**

 **That caused the writing to prodigy to recoil in shock. "U-U-Ugly?!"**

"H-How could you say that? Are you also calling me ugly?"

"No, I am not." Sakura denied calmly. "Only the act itself is unappealing, and no one has the right to do so."

 **Byakuya smirked. "Don't worry. Either way, whatever's going to happen will happen without warning." He assured them. "That is the nature of the game." With that, Byakuya left, with Toko quickly tagging along with him.**

"And how is that not fucking worrying?" Mondo asked incredulously. "That would make make paranoid as hell!"

"You are really messed up in the head, Byakuya." Leon said, shaking his head.

"You know... he did say that he won't kill himself right guys..?" Makoto weakly said from his seat.

 **Before any of the students could comment, the school bells rang. And soon after, the nighttime announcements played. "It's that time already, huh…?" Hina sighed.**

" **Before we separate, let me remind you…" Kyoko turned her eyes towards everyone. "Starting tonight, I'll be leaving my room door open to make sure nothing happens to Alter Ego. But just because my door is open, don't assume that will make me an easy target." Her eyes then grew colder. "Or the predator may suddenly find itself the prey…"**

Several in the group felt chills run up their spines. "Okay, that kinda scared me a bit." Leon admitted.

"Don't blame ya." Mondo snorted. "Kyoko is one of those chicks you just don't mess with."

"Understatement there." Hina said in agreement.

While the others were slightly intimidated, Mukuro couldn't help but find herself interested.

"Ehh? I didn't know detective training was so... physical." She commented.

"Don't worry about it too much. I'm very certain that there are very few detectives in the world this confident in their capabilities." Kyoko replied. Certainly, her special training had saved her in a few past cases.

 **The group couldn't help but feel a chill up their spines a bit. "Okay, okay, let's everyone just head back to our rooms!" Hiro quickly changed the subject. "And don't think about the money thing! Got it? Good! Then let's break!" He then turned to Taka. "...How was that? Pretty good, right Taka?"**

 **Again, the Ultimate Moral Compass was dead silent. "...Right." Was all the fortune teller could respond to the silence. With that, the group disperse.**

"Geez, is Taka gonna be like that the entire chapter?" Junko huffed. "Or even the entire future watching?" ' _If he doesn't get killed off first. Puhuhuhu…'_

"Jesus, I hope you won't." Mondo sighed, looking at his friend.

The moral compass took a deep breath. "As do I, bro. But I can't say for sure future me will recover from this." It'll probably take some help, that much he's certain of.

 **The scene switched to Makoto crawling onto bed and laying down.** ' _ **Money…'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **There's no way that's gonna get anyone to kill anyone else…'**_

" **I told myself that, but deep in my heart, I was still troubled." Narrator Makoto stated. "After all, I thought the same thing last time, about having our secrets revealed. Even if the reason for it seems completely nonsensical, a murder can still happen. That's the lesson we learned."**

Makoto's narration hit the group hard. They want to believe that none of them kill for money, that this motive isn't gonna kill anybody… but like Makoto said, the last chapter taught them that they could kill for the most absurd things. And the fact that they have two greedy classmates in there, made it even more concerning.

' _ **This time will be different. I'm sure of it.'**_ **The luckster continued encouraging himself.** ' _ **Because of the program Chihiro left behind- Alter Ego. We finally have some small hope to grasp onto.'**_

Those thoughts brought some of the spark back into the class, but not by much. Like Makoto said, it's a small amount of hope they're grasping onto.

' _Hope.'_ Makoto thought to himself. The one thing they all desperately need right now, both present and future. Hope that their future selves can get out of the killing game. Hope that they can figure out who's behind all this, along with the mysteries surrounding the school and this game, in order to stop it.

And thanks to Chihiro, they have that hope.

' _ **As long as we have that, then I'm sure…'**_ **With those lingering thoughts, Makoto slowly went to sleep.**

 **A moment after the screen turned black, the bell was rung and the morning announcements was played. Slowly, Makoto got up from his bed with a small yawn.** ' _ **Well then… I guess I should head to the dining hall.'**_ **He thought to himself before heading out.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto and remaining group gathered at the dining hall. "So, the people here today…" Hiro murmured out loud, looking around to see only himself, Makoto, Kyoko, Hina, Sakura, Celeste, and Hifumi. "...are just us seven."**

The group frowned at this. "I didn't expect to see Toko or Byakuya anyway," Sayaka stated. "But Taka?"

"We shouldn't be surprise." Sakura sighed, closing her eyes. "We all saw how he is."

"No argument there," Mondo sighed, looking down.

" **Byakuya and Toko are a lost cause," Sakura admitted. "But…"**

" **It looks like Taka's decided to stop coming for good, too…" Hifumi noted sadly.**

" **It's like he just… given up." Hiro sighed.**

" **For the people wound tight as he is, when you snap, you snap hard." Celeste stated factly.**

 **Makoto looked down at the table. "I wish there was some way to make him better…"**

"Same here, man." Mondo sighed, clenching his fist. More than likely, the future Taka is probably thinking is his fault. Thinking that Chihiro may hate the two of them, like his present bro did. If only he could snap some sense into him.

" **On another topic…" Celeste turned towards Kyoko. "Kyoko, did everything go alright last night?"**

" **Yeah, I didn't have any problems." The lavender haired girl confirmed, her voice hush. "I went and checked on the laptop a little while ago, and there weren't any problems there, either. But…" She hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh. "It's related to this case, so I suppose I should be blunt."**

 **She then gave a firm stare towards everyone. "I have to make a new rule. Using Alter Ego without permission is prohibited." She stated firmly. "Someone going in and out of the dressing room would draw unwanted attention from the mastermind."**

Junko raised an eyebrow. "That should be a no brainer." She remarked. "Why should they make a rule about it?"

"I think I have a guess." Kyoko said, staring straight at Hifumi. Several of them also looked at the fanfic creator, whiched caused him to sweat a little.

" **I would have thought that would be obvious. Why do we need to make a rule about it?" Celeste questioned.**

" **That's a good question." Kyoko then stared straight at Hifumi. "Do you have any thoughts on that, Hifumi?"**

That got almost everyone staring at Hifumi now, making him sweat even more. "W-What?"

"...What are you doing to Alter Ego?" Chihiro accused, his eyes both mad and suspicious.

"N-Nothing! I doubt future me is doing anything!"

"Tell that to Kyoko there, fatty." Leon remarked.

 **Hifumi sweated a little at that. "N-No…" He stuttered. "It's just like you said. We all need to be… very careful…" He let out a few nervous pants.**

" **...Huh?" Was Hiro's response to Hifumi's strange reaction, while the others took a few steps away from the fanfic creator.**

" **Whatever, let's just hurry up and eat!" Hifumi shouted in sudden anger. "We don't have time to stand around flappin' our lips!"**

Byakuya rolled his eyes. "You definitely visited alter ego."

"What did you do?" Chihiro asked again, sounding more suspicious.

Hifumi pale little at the stare Chihiro is giving him. Like an protective mother, wanting to protect her child. "I-I'm sure it's nothing bad!"

 **Hiro yelped in shock at this. "Jeez! Why're you talkin' like a pissed-off drill sergeant all of a sudden?!"**

 **The scene then fast forward to everyone at the table, eating their breakfast, though Hifumi made a note to keep far away from Kyoko. Makoto was in the middle of eating his own breakfast when he heard Celeste suddenly speak in front of him. "Celestia Ludenberg…" She sighed. "Celestia… Ludenberg…"**

The repeat of her own caused some raised eyebrows. "Um, what's up with your obsession with your name?" Junko inquired.

"Oh, it's nothing much." Celestia reassured with a giggle. "It's something that my future self will explain soon."

 **Makoto looked up from his breakfast curiously. "What are you doing…?"**

" **No matter how many times I hear it, I never tire of hearing my own name." Celeste stated. "Isn't it so splendidly charming?"**

That earned sighs and/or eye rolls from the group. The gambler can be really self absorbed sometimes.

" **Oh yeah, I've been wondering about that. Why that name?" Makoto asked her curiously.**

" **...Why?"**

" **I mean, is it from something?" The luckster clarified. "Why'd you pick it?"**

"Wait…?" Hina spoke up, looking confused. "Are we back on the topic on her name again? Cause I'm still wondering if Celeste is her real name or not?"

"Of course it's not, you dimwit." Byakuya sighed in annoyance. "Very rarely do Japanese parents give their kids names like that."

"Well, I'm one of the rare ones, because it is my name." Celeste said, her voice polite but tight. That merely made the heir rolled his eyes.

"When are you going to stop denying it? Very few of us are dumb enough to fall for the lie."

"It is not a lie. It's the truth, one that you cannot refute."

"I am so confused here…" Hina moaned, holding her head.

"Tell me about it." Hiro sighed.

" **I did not pick it." Celeste denied. "My name was given to me by mother and father…"**

" **Come on, that can't be your real name, can it?" Makoto asked with obvious doubt.**

" **It is, indeed, my real name." Celeste stated with a straight face. "Make no mistakes about that."**

 **Makoto sighed at that. "Okay, so your parents gave you that name?"**

" **That's right." Celeste confirmed. "My father is French nobility, and my mother is part of a German family of musicians."**

' _ **There's no way that's true…'**_ **Makoto deadpanned in his mind.**

"You really that we would fall for the lie?" Byakuya asked with a raised eyebrow. "Anyone with a decent amount of intelligence would know that was a lie."

His comment caused Hina, Hiro, and Hifumi to look away, with one of them whistling.

" **But okay, so were you born in France or Germany?"**

" **Tochigi." The gambler answered.**

"And now some truths." Byakuya remarked. "Though they do remain inconsistent with your lies."

"I do not know what you mean." Celeste replied back, smiling. "Sure, I was born in Tochigi, but that only because my family moved there."

"And yet, it's clear that you're Japanese."

"And Junko and Mukuro are twins."

"Hey, don't drag us into this!" Junko exclaimed with a pout. "It's not our fault we look differently, and we ended with different last names!"

' _ **Now we're getting somewhere…'**_ **Makoto thought with some exasperation.**

" **I was born in Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi, which is known for its delicious gyoza." Celeste explained in more detail. "You may be surprised to learn that I absolutely adore gyoza."**

That took the group by surprise. "You actually like gyoza?" Leon asked with some disbelief. "I would've thought you would hate considering, considering your taste."

"While I do find it stinky and vulgar, I do enjoy it." Celeste stated. "It's one of my favorite meals."

"Wow. Guess there's always something new we can learn about each other." Sayaka commented out, also surprise by the reveal. "How come you didn't tell this before?"

"It's not really something I tell most people." The gambler stated. "Makoto is one of the few I could reveal that too." While she is a bit irked a bit of herself is revealed like that, she realize that something like this would be unavoidable. Hopefully, this won't reveal any information too personal.

" **I love its stench, it's base vulgarity." A disappointed look then entered her face. "So, as you can imagine, I'm quite disappointed that I will never taste my hometown's gyoza again."**

" **Never say never, you know…?" Makoto told her. "Once we get out of here-"**

" **We will never get out of here." Makoto recoiled in shock at the cold tone she adopted. "How long will you continue this ridiculousness? You should give up. If you don't, it can only lead to murder…" With that, and a sip of her remaining tea, she left the dining hall.**

The others also recoiled at her response. "Geez, what is up with her?" Leon remarked. "Does she really not believe we'll get out of here?"

"Don't you miss your family Celeste?" Hina asked her. "Or any of your other friends you have?"

While she doesn't looked affected by those words on the outside, inwardly is another story. The last thing she wants is to be trapped in the school forever, true, but seeing her family is not the primary reason. Though she is worried about her cat.

However, she doesn't revealed any of those things. "I don't have an answer as to why my future self is acting this way. Perhaps she'll change her mind in the future."

Makoto frowned a little. He also wondering why Celeste is acting this way. He knows that her relationship with her family is… less than stellar, but there is stuff she wants to do outside of the school. Did she really given up hope, despite the appearance of Alter Ego?

 **Makoto stood still as the gambler went away.** ' _ **The more I talk to her, the more I just don't understand her…'**_

"Tell me about it." Hina turned towards Makoto. "How are you able to understand her, Makoto?"

"A lot of patience." Was his answer, rubbing the back of his head.

"Something you have an abundance of." Kyoko added with a small smirk.

That drew a bashful smile from the luckster, but inwardly, he's still thinking about Celeste reaction. He can't but wonder, is the gambler still acting? Or has she really given up hope of escaping?

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Hopefully, I can deliver the next chapters around this amount of time, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Especially with the tasks of picking which freetime events to do. Though I do know to do Hifumi's, Celeste's, Kyoko's, and Sakura's, so they'll be my main priority. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Man... being reminded of those 4 minutes of absolute despair really makes me feel sad. They didn't deserve that.**

 **Anyways, I finished Fate: Extella the other day and aside from the repetitive Dynasty Warriors gameplay, I think that the multiple arcs as well as the side stories unfold the whole story in a very beautiful way to the point that I didn't mind repeatedly playing the same stages over and over again. The music was also exceptionally good for me. After I unlocked the third title screen, I found myself just sitting in my chair listening and admiring it before I remembered I needed to finish the rest of them. My favourite ending so far is Archer's ending, especially after you know how all the pieces of the story come into place. His lines at the end along with the music just went so well together I couldn't get bored watching it over and over.**

 **And that's it from me. See y'all next chapter!**


	48. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 6

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, here, we're back to the freetime events, as well as Makoto showing Alter Ego to Taka. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: I wrote a short paragraph about Hifumi's title below. It's there to clear up any possible misinterpretations like "what do circles have to do with fanfiction?". You can choose to ignore it which doesn't really matter that much especially if you don't care about Hifumi's character. In terms of how important it is to the story, it's also quite insignificant since it only pertains to Hifumi's FTEs. Anyways, questions part, then the short paragraph.**

 **Q: W** **ill Kyoko be helping in comforting the victims and killers after the chapter or will you only do that if its someone close to her?  
L: Oh she will help people, but she's a very "behind-the-scenes" kind of person (as you can see from the games and DR3-Future arc).  
**

 **Q: Shouldn't Chihiro be more supportive of Hifumi's relationship with Alter Ego seeing as he was kinda encouraging Hifumi to be with AE during his Ultimate Development Plan?  
L: For me, there's two reasons why I'm leaning towards a no for this: 1) I'm not familiar with about 90% of those development plan interactions and 2) It's probably not canon. I only developed Mukuro, Kirumi, and Mahiru.  
S: I also lean towards no. Only saw a few development plans and some don't really feel canon.**

 **Q: Will the characters actually develop after seeing all of this? Because so far..they haven't really. I mean i know you said, Byakuya wont apologize ...so what, you're just gonna keep him be the one noted 'insult' spitter?  
L: I see what you mean, but not exactly. He's a very prideful person, and given the exaggerated design on his character, he would never throw away that pride. So instead of being a general butthole, he becomes a caring butthole. Like, think of your usual highschool bully calling you names and stuff. Now think of that same bully still calling you names, but keeping other bullies away from you and sometimes giving you lunch money when you can't afford it. That's sort of the image we're going for.  
S: And yes, we are gonna develop characters/have been developing characters, but there won't be obvious character changes for all of them. Remember that Chihiro developed some after chapter 2.**

 **Q: *Small details regarding Class 77 and possible future fics*  
L: These small details haven't been decided yet. We'll probably figure it out when we get to it.  
S: Agreed.**

 **Q: Why i feel girls have pervert punishment to Makoto on end chapter?  
L: You have a dirty mind. ):  
**

 **A QUICK THING ABOUT HIFUMI BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS CHAPTER!**

 **So, regarding our favourite fanfiction creator, his FTE here might sound weird due to it being translated from Japanese. Fanfiction isn't necessarily "wrong", but it's not the exact word either. In the Japanese version of the game, his title is actually SHSL Doujin Author. And no, Doujin does not equal to Hentai (However, it does seem to be a fairly popular type of Doujin). Doujin is mostly referred to amateur level self-published works (but they aren't always amateur level), often based on an official work or concept. This can range from mangas, animes, music, games, or other forms of media. With that in mind, Doujin Circles, are then simply a group of Doujin creator that publish works together. This would've been a completely normal talent, if Danganronpa didn't make everything into extremities and over exaggerate everything. And of course, to the misfortune of our meme'd upon creator, they exaggerate the Otaku side of Doujin artists within him as well as a perverted side. (Not to mention the common English context of "fanfiction" equaling to a fantasy of certain characters "hitting it off"). Anyways, Hifumi is the way he is due to exaggerating a few social aspects about Doujin creators, getting that translated to English, then trying to match English Social Norms (or social norms around fanfiction stuff).**

 **If Hifumi was simply the SHSL Doujin Creator, he would be the god of anime, being able to draw, write, and do everything else necessary to create a game and other things. However, his title does restrict him to being an Author (which is probably done to avoid the ambiguous wording to prevent multiple talents) so he's really good at writing, drawing and catering to a specific audience for success.**

 **So with that out of the way, his FTE should be less "random" so to speak (For example, he's a fanfiction creator, but he talks about games, music and merchandise as well).**

Chapter 47: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 6

" **Mwehehe… I see quality in you, Mr. Naegi. True quality!" Hifumi declared towards Makoto, letting out a sinister laugh. The two are at the hallway, around the dormitory. "And that's why I've decided present to you my lecture on the nature of fan fiction!"**

Given how Makoto had talked to everyone else so far, this was by far one that induced the most cringe amongst the students, and pride in one. Hifumi looked at the screen with pride at his own entrance while Leon and Toko, the two aside from Celeste to have interacted with him the most (one out of necessity, the other out of conflict), sighed for the whole class.

"Oh, great." Leon grumbled. "I was really hoping we didn't have to see Makoto hang out with fatty."

"For once, I-I agree with you." Toko grumbled back. "He'll t-talk about h-his trashy c-comics."

"Not to mention that boring chuunibyou personality." Junko added.

"My future self is bestowing wisdom upon Mr. Naegi!" Hifumi exclaimed in response to their words. "You should be grateful that you will hear about the nature of fanfiction!"

That earned a snort from Leon. "Yeah. Sure."

" **If we're going to be friends, you must be fully informed. I will permit no fanfic bigotry whatsoever!"**

" **I don't think I have any fanfic bigotry…" Makoto replied with a sweatdrop. "I mean, I don't really know anything about that kind of geeky stuff anyway…"**

" **See, there it is!" Hifumi exclaimed in frustration. "To you, fanfic equals geeky, right? But is that all that word is worth?"**

" **Huh?" Makoto tilted his head. "Did I say something wrong…?"**

" **But that's okay!" Hifumi continued, as if he didn't hear Makoto. "Because I take the word geek as a compliment! For you see, there is nobody on Earth so full of knowledge as a geek!"**

" **In a sense, a geek is like an expert. That's right, a total expert!" He stated. "A successful musician must necessarily be a music geek, a good movie director is a movie geek. You know? It those experts, those geeks who open up the world to others! So when you say that writing fanfic is 'geeky', you're recognizing us as true experts!"**

His lecture earned looks of annoyance and befuddlement. "Isn't he taking it a little too seriously?" Sayaka asked with a sweatdrop.

"That's Hifumi for ya." Makoto replied with his own sweatdrop.

"You know, he's not wrong about it either." Mukuro offered her own neutral opinion.

Taka, meanwhile, merely raised an eyebrow. "But is that true? That geeks hold the most knowledge in the world?"

"Of course not." Byakuya answered with an eye roll. "Don't take the fool's rambling seriously."

"Y-Yeah." Toko quickly agreed with the Togami heir. "H-He's just trying to defend h-his trash."

"Your just saying that because you're a geek as well!" Hifumi declared. "Mr. Togami being a math geek and Miss Fukawa being a book geek!"

"What?!" Toko hissed, looking completely offended. "Don't c-compare with you!"

"Excuse me? I'm more than just a 'math geek' to the likes of you." Byakuya instinctively snapped back.

"So you do admit to being a geek!" Hifumi cried out, pouncing on Byakuya's mistake. Realizing his slip of tongue, he immediately turned around his seat in a disgusted manner.

While they were talking, Chihiro kept silent with a small blush on his face. With Hifumi's logic, that also made him a geek, since he enjoys computers.

 **Makoto sweatdropped at this. "Okay, so um… what exactly is fanfic, then?"**

" **Oof! Super direct question FTW!" Hifumi exclaimed in slight surprise. "Basically, we have all different kinds of stores and events, right? These are where groups of holy warriors sell their own stuff based on games, comics, anime, everything."**

" **And the stuff those people make… are fanfic?" Makoto asked.**

" **Comics are the most common creation, but it also include games, music, and even merchandise!" Hifumi explained to him. "Of course, that's common sense. I certainly hope you don't expect me to explain such common-sense topics every time!"**

" **Well, like I said… I don't know too much about this stuff." Makoto told him.**

" **This goes well beyond 'I don't know too much'!"**

"It does?" Hina smiled sheepishly at this, scratching the back of her head. "Cause I didn't really know that much either."

"I think that goes for most of us, Hina." Sakura replied in reassurance.

" **But I guess I can't blame you." Hifumi sighed. "The propaganda never touches on that. So as a fanfic ambassador, by the time I am done with you, you'll be itching to buy a premium pass to the next fanfic con! Right?!"**

"Is this what he teaches you every time you hang out with him?" Junko remarked.

Makoto nodded. "Yeah, he does."

"It's quite fun, talking about my passion with Mr. Naegi!" Hifumi stated. "No one else would even bother to listen to me! Though I do wish he became more interested in fanfics!"

"None of us are going to be interested, dude." Leon deadpanned.

 **Makoto sweatdropped once again.** ' _ **Obviously he's excited, but…'**_

" **Alright, that's it for the basic!" The fanfic creator continued. "This time, would you like to hear about one of my many legends?"**

" **Your legends…?"**

" **Naturally!" Hifumi said proudly. "You don't become the Ultimate Fanfic Creator without a few legends sprouting up around you! One such legend is how, in middle school, I was able to convince the school to create a fanfic club!"**

Several eyes widen at this. "You manage to convince your school to have a club like that?" Mondo asked incredulously.

"I sure did!" Hifumi stated proudly, crossing his arms.

"But, how?" Taka asked, trying to wrap his head around it. From what he knew, Hifumi's comics aren't the most kid friendly. How could a school approve of such things entering school borders?

"And that is a great question! Indeed, how did I do it?" Hifumi rhetorically asked in a very stereotypical manner.

" **And from that day, I exposed myself and my fanfic to the world at large! By the way, do you happen to know what all of my works are based on?"**

 **Makoto shook his head. "Sorry, no idea…"**

" **Well, surely you've heard of the highly acclaimed anime Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess!" Hifumi proudly answered.**

Leon rolled his eyes. "If I had a dollar for every time you mentioned that anime…"

"It would probably be enough to pay for five school trips." Junko finished.

"Or maybe even fund the reserve course..." Chihiro commented to himself, counting on his fingers and doing math in his head.

" **Now, you might think that sounds totally cliche, but you would be WRONG!" He continued. "I didn't simply copy the 'pretty girl' Princess Piggles style. I took a total meta sci-fi approach! My perspective was seen as quite odd, but if you really look at what I'm doing… my version of Princess Piggles was the total antithesis of the new-wave sci-fi movement. In fact, it was my response to J.G. Ballard's speculative fiction styling!"**

Once again, several of the students were confused as to what Hifumi saying. "A what, what, and a what now?" Hina asked in confusion.

"Basically, he wrote his favorite anime in a futuristic setting, but different from the other sci-fi stuff. Apparently, that's also what skyrocketed his popularity." Makoto explained to her easily.

"Ah." Hina nodded in understanding, smiling sheepishly. "Glad you're able to speak Hifumi's geek language."

"Reading manga and watching anime with my sister gave me some experience." Makoto responded with a small, embarrassed laugh.

 **He then let out a small, creepy laugh before catching himself. "Ahh, my geekdom is leaking out again. I apologize!" After composing himself, he continued. "Anyway, unlike most fans, I never saw Princess Piggles as your typical moe anime."**

" **Yeah, I definitely got that impression…" Makoto replied back before approaching on a previous topic. "But I can't believe you were able to single-handedly persuade the school to let you make a club…"**

" **Oh, that's because I bribed them with a cut of my profits."**

"Bribery?!" Taka shouted in outrage, startling some of the others. "And the teachers accepted it?! That is completely unacceptable!"

"Wow. Either the school was greedy or desperate to accept the bribe." Leon snorted.

"Geez. And I thought you actually persuaded them to accept that kind of club." Junko sighed in disappointment. "I should've known that you bribed them…"

' _ **Profits…?'**_ **Makoto thought in disbelief.**

" **And I've only gotten better at it! I'm blowin' up!" Hifumi boasted. "Now then, up till now, I've always focused on taking part in Princess Piggles single-setting events."**

" **Single setting…?"**

" **It's when a circle gets together to come up with a project or event focused on only one show or series." The fanfic creator explained. "So a Princess Piggles single-setting event would only allow works involving Princess Piggles, see? On the flip-side, there's a free-for-all, where there's no restriction on the number of properties."**

" **There are actually plenty of free-for-all events every year, and yet…" An outrage look entered his face. "More and more slackers are showing up with no idea what fanfic really meant! It's so ANNOYING!"**

"M-Make it stop!" Toko cried, covering her ears. "I c-can't take anymore of t-this talk about t-trash!"

"This is an absolute waste of time." Byakuya groaned in annoyance. "What's the point in this?"

"Like Spirit mentioned before, to keep everyone's energy up." Kyoko reminded him. "Most, if not all of us, would rather feel slight annoyance than utter dread, I would think."

"Hate to admit it, but Kyoko's right." Leon sighed. "Rather see Hifumi blab about his princess show than seeing who's getting murdered next."

"How dare you call Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess a mere princess show!" Hifumi shouted in outrage. "It's one of the best magical school girl animes out there!"

"Yeah, yeah." Leon dismissed with a yawn.

" **So in order to crush these peons with all my might, I'm going to start taking part in more free-for-alls!"**

" **Crush them…?" Makoto shrunk a little at this. "That doesn't sound very friendly…"**

"Y-Yeah." Chihiro agreed, shaking a little. "Can't you just do a friendly competition?"

"These events are not for making friends!" Hifumi denied instantly. "It's to show your inner passion! And anyone who slacks off in the art of fanfics deserves to crushed!"

"Are all you fanfic nerds that fiery about the stuff?" Leon asked with a raised eyebrow.

" **I don't participate in these events to make friends!" Hifumi countered in response. "And I cannot forgive those lazy bastards! And don't tell me to ignore them! If you let some little wimp survive, you'll regret it later! Play any RPG where the villain spares the hero when he's level 1, and what happens? Boom! Dead!"**

 **Makoto sweatdropped at this.** ' _ **I… kinda get it.'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **But I kinda don't…'**_

"Yeah, same here." Hiro admitted. "Except that I don't get it at all."

"Me too." Hina spoke up, rubbing her head.

"Yeah, most of us don't speak nerd." Mondo sighed.

"I just think he's exaggerating a tad too much." Junko said dryly.

Hifumi gritted his teeth in frustration. "Bigots, all of you!" Hifumi accused. "But don't worry! Once we have time, I'll teach you all about fanfiction!"

"We would rather not, Hifumi." Celeste replied, doing her best to keep her composure. Seeing Hifumi acting geeky to the max is annoying her to the brim. She really hopes that this will be over soon.

" **It's a dog-eat-dog industry, where only the most brutal survive. Oh, but don't worry. I'm gonna start you off easy by getting you involved in some simple cosplay action!"**

" **Huh? I'm gonna get involved?" Makoto asked. Then his mind processed everything he said. "...Wait, did you say cosplay?!"**

That earned some laughter from some of the guys while Makoto's cheeks burned in embarrassment. "Hifumi actually wants you to do that?" Leon asked with a smirk.

"Y-Yeah." Makoto admitted. "Been preparing a costume for me to wear ever since when he first mentioned it."

The girls, mainly those crushing on him, giggle at the thought of Makoto in a costume. It would be so cute to see.

Kyoko, despite her amusement at the thought, leaned towards Makoto and whispered, "Do you want me to help you get out of it?"

The luckster shook his head. "No, don't worry. I mean, it's not like Mondo offering to ride with him and his friends, so it shouldn't be bad." The blush on his face then deepened. "Besides, it's not like I can escape dressing up now with the punishment setting up for me."

"True." Kyoko conceded, her smile becoming a bit wider at the mention of Makoto's punishment. She'll be looking forward to seeing it.

If the next murder and trial doesn't cause too much calamity.

" **You're a pretty good-looking guy. If your costume was decent enough, I might even let you work my booth!" Hifumi stated, before let out another creepy chuckle. "I bet you could even net yourself a magical girl harem!"**

Makoto cheeks flared up even further while the smiles and giggles from the girls disappeared. Kyoko slightly frown at the thought of other girls getting attracted to Makoto, with Mukuro outright scowling. Hina also frowned while Celeste gritted her teeth. Sayaka grabbed Makoto's arms tightly, a scowl also on her face.

"Hifumi!" Taka shouted in outrage. "As I said before, polygamy is illegal! Don't encourage it!"

"Hey, I can't help if Mr. Naegi is able to attract females to him!" Hifumi said in defense.

"And I don't think that would happen, anyway!" Makoto quickly said before an argument could break out. "I'm still just a normal guy, after all. I don't think cosplaying would change that."

Although Makoto was oblivious himself as his eyes returned to the screen, literally everyone else in the room let out a sigh upon hearing his last words. He may be unexpectedly smart or insightful, but never did they guess that he was that dense as well.

" **So with that in mind, let's change the world of fanfic together!"**

" **...What does that even mean?" Makoto sighed/whined as he waved farewell to Hifumi.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto walking into the recreational room, where he spotted Hiro at. "Hey, Makoto!" Hiro greeted. "What's up, my brother and fellow mother-lover? Let's raise our semi-siblings up right, okay?!"**

Immediately, faces turned sour at the mention of Hiro's fortune. "Can we stop bringing that up?" Hina whined. "I don't even want to think about that."

"Why not?" Hiro asked, looking confused. "It's a way for Makoto and I to grow closer!"

"I don't want to get close like that!" Makoto stated fiercely. He would definitely rather not share the same lover as Hiro, thank you very much!

Unknowing to him, the five of the girls shared a similar statement with him.

" **S-Stop talking about that…" Makoto pleaded with him.**

" **So! Ready for the next round?!" Hiro asked him eagerly, talking about the fortunes.**

"No!" A collective 15 voices rang out in response to the Hiro on the screen. They do not want to hear another fortune from Hiro!

" **Never!" Makoto immediately shouted. But then paused for a moment. "...Actually, how do you do your fortune-telling, anyway?" He asked curiously while changing the subject. "I saw you doing palm readings and stuff, and you didn't use any tools or anything…"**

Kyoko didn't know if he knowingly changed the subject in that manner or not, but seeing it happen was enough to get a small amused smile from her stoic face.

" **Wow, I didn't know you knew about divination tools!" Hiro said, impressed. "Sounds like you know your way around the spirit world!"**

Leon cocked an eyebrow at this. "Um, I'm pretty sure everyone knows at least that much about fortune telling."

"Is this the extent of clairvoyant knowledge?" Byakuya remarked condescendingly. "If so, I'm very disappointed. More so than usual when it comes to this nonsense."

"Hey! It is not as easy as you think, you know!" Hiro responded angrily, thought several of them doubt his words.

" **Er, I'm not sure you need to know that much to know about those kinds of tools." Makoto responded back.**

 **However, his words fell on deaf ears. "Now that I know you're an expert, I have a question for you! A correct answer gets you another discount!"**

" **No thanks…" Makoto deadpanned.**

"You honestly expect Makoto to want to hear another of your fortunes?" Junko asked in disbelief.

"Of course." Hiro said, like it was obvious. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Maybe because your fortunes are a load of bull?" Mondo snorted. "And you con people all of their money for a clear glimpse of the future?"

"You guys are just haters! All of you!"

 **Once again, his words were on deaf ears. "There are 22 cards known as the Major Arcana, and 56 cards known as the Minor Arcana." Hiro began. "Generally, the cards from the Major Arcana are used for divination. Do you know what I'm talking about?!"**

 **Letting out a sigh, Makoto thought about for a moment. When said moment pass, he figured it out. "Oh, I know! You're talking about tarot cards!"**

" **Ahh, gloriously correct!" Hiro said in amazement. "I will now tell you your fortune for a measly six hundred bones!"**

That received blanks looks from the group. "Hey, c'mon! Don't make those faces!" Hiro exclaimed in response to these faces. "Six hundred is a very good price for my fortunes!"

"Yeah. Good price." Leon deadpanned. "I'd sooner believe that Hifumi isn't attracted to girls than believe that."

"Well... I'm not really into 3D girls..." Hifumi muttered to himself.

" **Wow, really? ...Is something I'd never say!" Makoto declared. "I've had enough fortune-telling for one lifetime…"**

" **I see…" Hiro sighed in disappointment. "Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me!"**

' _I wouldn't change my mind, even if it's free.'_ Makoto deadpanned in his mind.

" **Sure thing. Anyway," Makoto said, getting back on topic. "Getting back to what I asked you about before, if you don't use any tools or whatever, how do you do your fortune-telling?"**

" **Well, don't be fooled. I have my own technique." Hiro told him fiercely. "For example, I employ numerology!"**

" **Numerology…?" Makoto tilted his head in confusion.**

" **It uses of mathematical formula to predict the future based on birth dates, lettering number, all that." Hiro explained.**

Byakuya raised an eyebrow at that. "I'm surprised you're actually able to use mathematical formula."

"I'm surprised he knows the concept of numerology at all." Mukuro voiced her straightforward opinion.

"I'm not stupid!"

"Then you have fooled all of us." Celeste remarked dryly. "Cause you definitely didn't pronounce yourself as smart."

"But I didn't see you use numerology with Makoto's fortune." Chihiro pointed out.

" **But… I didn't see you doing anything like that, either…" Makoto pointed out.**

" **Well, it's more of an inspirational type of fortune-telling!" Hiro stated. "Some kind of unknown power just acts through you, and suddenly, bam! You've got the info!"**

Eyebrows rose in disbelief at this. "That's intuition!" Sayaka cried out. And she would know! It's her thing!

Byakuya sighed. "I told you his fortunes are foolish."

"It's not intuition! Like I said, it's an unknown power that comes through you!"

"Making it sound pretty doesn't take away that it's intuition." Junko said dryly.

" **You're talking about intuition!"**

" **Don't try and describe it using such a cheesy word!" Hiro responded back.**

"I'm sorry, what?" Sayaka slowly to turn Hiro with a cold look on her face. "Intuition is what now? _Cheesy_?"

Hiro paled. "I, uh, well… future me?" He offered up weakly.

" **But if it's not intuition, then it's gotta be some kind of supernatural power…" Makoto said in slight musing.**

" **Don't compare my clairvoyance to some occult bullcrap!" Hiro denied angrily. "I hate the occult! Take that crap somewhere else!"**

' _ **You hate the occult…?'**_ **Makoto thought incredulously.**

" **Now here's some good news. Act now, and I'll throw in an extra bonus on your reading!" Hiro offered. "I used white magic to record a CD of spirit messages I received from the luxury suite of heaven! Five seconds of this baby, and you'll be witnessing miracles and communing with angels for days!"**

"...Ow. Ow, my brain." Junko moaned, holding her head. "Ow. Ow."

"Can you please stop saying stuff like that?" Hina groaned, also holding her head. "I hate having a headache."

" **And you said you… hate the occult…?" Makoto asked slowly.**

" **Hey, business is business!"**

' _ **The more I talk to him, the less I understand…'**_ **Makoto thought, walking away from the vibrant fortune teller.**

"Why do you even bother talking with this fool?" Byakuya asked Makoto. "Just listening to him lowers your intelligence!"

"Yeah! It's like I can feel my brain cells committing suicide one by one!" Leon added.

"When will you guys stop being so mean?!"

"Perhaps when you properly convince us that there is merit to your fortune telling." Mukuro replied blankly. "So far, you have said nothing but contradicting phrases and ungrounded arguments."

"Mukuro has a point, Hiro. Your career and words just don't match up." Sakura agreed, speaking up after a long period of silence.

Hiro hung his head. "You guys just don't get it…"

 **The scene switched to Makoto sitting on the bed, idly thinking to himself.** ' _ **Getting close to nighttime.'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **But I still got some time. What should I do until then?'**_

 **Before he could think on it more, the doorbell suddenly rang. "Huh?" Makoto looked at the door. "Sounds like someone's here." Without any preamble, Makoto walk up to the door. When he opened, he saw a still traumatized Taka at standing in front of it. "T-Taka!"**

The sight of the Ultimate Moral Compass also surprised the others. "What's Mr. Ishimaru doing there?" Hifumi asked. "And why?"

"I'm wondering the same thing." Taka said, narrowing his eyes. As much as he hate to admit it, he thought that his future self would keep himself isolated, at least for a while.

 **The moral compass was silent, as usual. But after a beat or two of that silence, he finally spoke up. "...Is it true? Can I really… see Chihiro?"**

That caused several of them to tense. "Is he talking about Alter Ego?" Hina cautiously asked.

"Most likely, yes." Sakura answered her friend. "He must've heard us talking at some point."

"And my future self wants to see him." Taka said, frowning. Now he understands why he's at Makoto's door. To ask him if he could get the chance to talk to Alter Ego, to ask him something.

" **Huh?" Makoto was confused for a moment before his eyes lit up in realization. "You mean Alter Ego?"**

" **He's… still alive?" He asked, his voice weak.**

" **N-No… not quite…" Makoto hesitantly answered him.**

" **Let me see…" Taka continued, as if he didn't hear Makoto. "I want to… talk to him…"**

" **T-Taka…" Makoto bit his lip.** ' _ **The way he is now, there's no way I can explain what's going on with him…'**_

Mukuro nodded in agreement. "True. In his traumatized state, he could barely understand what is happening around him." Very few soldiers in Fenrir were like that, so she can easily see the signs.

"So what should Makoto do then?" Hiro asked.

"The best thing to do right now is do what he asked." The soldier answered.

"But aren't we forbidden from using Alter Ego?" Hina pointed out.

' _ **Kyoko said we're not allowed to use Alter Ego.'**_ **Makoto frown in slight confliction.** ' _ **But… even so…'**_

"I'm sure my future self will understand." Kyoko reassured. "This isn't really for personal use. It's to help someone internally suffering." And at this rate, he's regressing more than progressing. It would be cruel to leave him like that.

"If you say so." Makoto said, though he looks a bit uncertain. It's not like he doesn't trust Kyoko's words, but the fact that his future self feels like he should sneak around makes him a bit concern.

 **He looked at his grief stricken friend.** ' _ **I can't just leave him like this.'**_ **He then spoke out loud. "Okay, why don't we get going…?"**

 **Taka doesn't say anymore. Merely follows Makoto as he walks out the door.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto and Taka gathered around the locker where Alter Ego is held. "Okay, so… there's a laptop inside the locker, understand?" Makoto explained to him. "And the laptop there's a program called Alter Ego."**

" **How do I… talk to him?" Taka slowly inquired.**

" **O-Oh, um…" Makoto moved towards the computer. "Well, you just tell me what you want to say, and I'll type it in for you."**

 **Taka was silent for a moment. Then, he hesitantly spoke. "Do you… hate Mondo?" Taka asked, his small and weak voice filled with many emotions. "And since I couldn't stop him… do you hate me?"**

Several eyes widen at the questions before turning to the moral compass. The only ones who weren't surprise by this question were Makoto, Chihiro, Mondo, and Taka, with the latter of the four looking down.

"Taka…" Hina spoke up hesitantly. "Are you thinking that?"

The honor student was silent at first. Then, he spoke. "I did, at first." He answered softly. "I thought I could do something. Maybe I could've stopped Mondo. Maybe I could've convinced everyone that we could share our secrets with one another. Something that could've stopped Chihiro's murder and Mondo's execution."

He took a deep breath before speaking once again. "But it doesn't matter now." He says firmly. "Makoto, Mondo, and Chihiro showed me that. The future has not happen yet. I can stop this from ever happening."

That brought soft smiles from the group. "That's good to hear. And you're correct." Sakura said in agreement. "We will stop this killing game from ever happening."

' _If you're able to stomach everything!'_ Junko thought with a sing-song voice. ' _And not rip each others throats out first.'_

 **Makoto bit his lip once again.** ' _ **He's forcing himself to get the words out.'**_ **He realized.** ' _ **From his mouth, from the bottom of his heart… he's forced his weakened voice to make the sounds.'**_

" **...Please."**

Many winced at how broken he sounds, their hearts clenching at his voice. Mondo clenched his fist, the guilt filling his heart, while Taka looked at his mentally broken form.

" **O-Okay…" Makoto then typed the question exactly like Taka asked them.**

 **At first, Alter Ego was silent. Then, he spoke. "Do you hold yourself responsible…?" He asked Taka. "If Master could talk now, I think this is what he would say… please, live your life for the both of us. It's impossible for me now, but you can still survive and escape - all of you."**

Chihiro nodded in agreement with his AI. "Yes. I think I would say that." He said, sounding slightly confident.

"I'm not surprise." Makoto said, smiling. "You're incredibly selfless Chihiro, as well as strong." The programmer flushed at the compliment.

 **Once again, Taka didn't say a word. "Hey, Taka…" Makoto hesitantly spoke up.**

 **But before he could say more, Alter Ego spoke again. "The one asking those questions is… Taka, right?" The AI inquired. "Analyzing all available data, that's the only conclusion I can come to. Master told me how close Taka and Mondo had become. So that must be why he feels responsible…"**

 **The screen suddenly went dark. And in an instant…**

 **Was Mondo. "You're not letting yourself get crushed under the weight of that responsibility, are you?!"**

That definitely startled the others. "M-Mondo?!" Sayaka exclaimed in shock.

"The hell?!" Mondo exclaimed, also shock. "Is it copying me?!"

"I see." Byakuya said in understanding. "Your AI can also imitate others, am I correct?"

Chihiro nodded. "With enough data, it can accurately predict what they say and also look like them."

"Very impressive." Celeste complimented.

 **That caused Taka to make a choking noise of shock. "A man's only worth as much as the load he can carry!" The AI continued. "You get it, right bro? Hell, what am I saying? Of course ya do!"**

 **Taka could only stare at the laptop in shock while Makoto's own eyes widen. "Th-That's…!"**

 **The laptop switched back to Alter Ego's original appearance. "I'm sorry if I startled you…" He apologized. "That was my attempt at a simulation, using the data Mondo that Master had given. I figured if Taka was depressed, that's the kind of thing Mondo would have said to him…"**

 **The AI then switched back to Mondo. "So you're just gonna stand there, huh? Just wait for things to get better?" He rhetorically asked. "Just take your time and get all depressed, take the time indulge your regrets… you might even start walking again without realizing it. Sure, that kind of mediocre thinking might work for some people."**

"Damn." Mondo said in amazement. "That would be something I would say."

"And all that from some data Alter Ego gathered?" Hina breathed out in awe. "That's so amazing!"

Chihiro's cheeks couldn't help but burn at the compliments.

 **The laptop once again switched back to Chihiro's appearance. "...What if I said it with that kind of condescending tone?!" He giggled.**

 **Taka stayed silent, for a moment. Then, he began letting a noise, sounding like a laugh, drawing Makoto's attention. "Taka…?"**

The noise he's making also drew the other's attention. "Is he… l-laughing?" Toko hesitantly asked.

 **A smile slowly entered his lip. "It's starting to sink in…" He murmured. "The way a bucketful of water sinks into a bone-dry sponge…"**

Smiles slowly entered their lips. "Is he finally getting himself together?" Hina asked hopefully.

"Look like meeting Alter Ego is having a big effect on him." Kyoko mused.

" **Huh…?" Makoto said in confusion.**

" **Those words… deep within my heart…!" He said to himself, a blue glow suddenly surrounding him. "They're inside of me!"**

Their smiles slowly left them when they noticed the glow. "Is he… glowing…?" Leon asked, wondering if he's seeing things.

"What is going on?" Hiro asked nervously, looking as if ghosts might attack them.

 **And suddenly, Taka screamed with renewed energy, his hair turning white, his eyes blazing, and his skin back to his healthy color.**

Immediately, the room exploded. "Taka?!" Chihiro exclaimed.

"What the hell?!" Leon shouted.

"His hair white!" Hina pointed out in shock.

"And his eyes are blazing!" Makoto added.

"The fuck happened to him?!" Mondo cried out.

"He went Super Saiyan!" Hifumi squealed.

Even Celeste and Kyoko couldn't hide the shock they're feeling. The latter had guessed that this would give Taka the energy he needs, but she didn't expect… that.

Taka looked at the screen with wide eyes. Did that speech really energized that much? To the point that his hair and eyes changed?

Junko merely blinked a little, merely a bit surprise by this. Honestly, she expected that pep talk to bring Taka back from the dead, but she didn't expect to go all super saiyan, as Hifumi stated. She mentally frown. Can't her classmates just stay in despair, like good little hostages?!

" **T-Taka?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock, taking a step back.**

" **Who the fudge is Taka?!" Taka growled right back.**

THAT shocked everyone. "Did… he just said what I think he just said…?" Junko slowly asked, looking really shocked.

"I think so." Sayaka confirmed slowly, as if trying to process it herself.

Taka's eyes were as wide as saucer. What just come out of his mouth?!

" **Y-Your eyes…"**

" **Hey, don't worry about it!" Taka reassured. "Guess I caused kind of a scene, huh? Shoot, man…"**

" **And your voice…" Makoto's eyes were getting wider and wider.**

"Did Mondo and Taka somehow merged?!" Hina exclaimed, looking as shocked as the others.

"Oh no! Not more g-ghost!" Hiro cried out. "Mondo has possessed Taka!"

For once, no one immediately disregard his statement. A few of them actually looked like they agreed.

" **I'm… a new me…" He then let out a roar. "I'm totally stuffed with fighting spirit now! Ya dumbbutt!"**

" **O-Okay, Taka… just calm down." Makoto hesitantly told him.**

" **I AM calm!" Taka stated back. "And don't call me Taka! That's… that's not my name anymore… I'm… me!" He then began sprinting out the batthouse. "I! Am! Meeeeeee!"**

"...What the hell did you just unleash, Makoto?" Leon questioned, wide eyes.

"Great. Taka turned from broken to unstable now." Byakuya sighed in annoyance. "That will be annoying to deal with."

"Well, at least he's feeling better now." Hina said weakly, her mind in the middle of processing what the heck just happened. "That's something, at least."

"True." Sakura agreed, musing to herself. Taka's transformation kinda reminded her of Nekamaru in a way, whom she spars with from time to time.

" **H-Hey! Taka, hold on!" Makoto took after him…**

 **But before he could get out of the room, Kyoko walked briskly inside, blocking the exit. "What do you think you're doing?"**

" **K-Kyoko!"**

The appearance of the Ultimate Detective caused several to stiffen. "Oh crap! Kyoko!" Hiro said in horror.

"Welp, Mr. Naegi is dead." Hifumi said in sympathy.

However, Kyoko waved them off. "As I said before, don't worry. My future self will understand the situation."

 **The sight of the lavender haired girl made him nervous. "Oh, um… no, see… this is just-"**

" **Don't go around doing what you feel like." Kyoko said coldly.**

Her words and cold tone caught everyone by surprise, especially the detective herself. "What?" Was all Hina could say, almost as if she didn't hear Kyoko.

" **It causes problems. And not just for me. For everyone."**

"Is she… scolding Makoto?" Mondo asked slowly, his anger slowly building up. "For fucking helping my bro out?"

"So it would seem." Sakura said, narrowing her eyes in slight befuddlement.

"Well, this is the 'old' Kyo- Kirigiri." Mukuro reminded everyone.

"Kyoko is fine. And yes, I can imagine myself behaving that way as well." Kyoko admitted.

 **Makoto looked away in shame. "S-Sorry…"**

" **If you're really sorry, you'll get out of here. Now." She ordered.**

" **O-Okay…" He then head out of the room, looking embarrassed and sullen.**

The sight of Makoto's 'kicked puppy' look caused Kyoko to wince while Sayaka scowled in anger. "You're actually reprimanding Makoto for trying to help a friend?!"

"What was that about understanding what he's doing?" Celeste questioned, her voice slightly icy.

Kyoko looked away from the group, especially when she saw the hurt developed on the present Makoto's face. While the rational part of her mind can see why she's acting this way, she can't help but feel angry at her future self's cold nature towards Makoto.

"Honestly, I can understand why she did so." Byakuya said, crossing his arms. "Using Alter Ego continuously is too dangerous under the circumstances."

"Still, she didn't have to be so cold towards him!" Hina argued with a scowl. Then, as if realizing something, quickly turned towards Kyoko. "But we know that you're not like that Kyoko! We don't blame you or anything…"

"It's okay." The detective reassured the swimmer. "I understand why your angry. I disapprove of my own behaviour myself." In the past, she could see herself doing something like that. But now, she's different.

 **As Makoto laid on his bed, he thought about previous events.** ' _ **But still… what was with Taka's sudden freakout?'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **I'm seriously worried about him…'**_

 **Before he could think on it, the school bell rang and the nighttime broadcast came on.** ' _ **It's nighttime already.'**_ **He sighed.** ' _ **I guess I'll have to wait till tomorrow to figure out Taka's whole… thing. For now, time to sleep…'**_

"Yeah, that'll be something to deal with." Junko sighed. "Hopefully, it'll do more good than bad." She really hopes that it'll cause more problems rather than fixing them.

The others nodded in agreement to Junko's words. Hopefully, Taka's… reawakening will help more than hinder.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. As per usual, make sure to review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier:**

 **Wow, I didn't think there were that many F/Extella players out here. And to that one guy asking if I'm going to get Extella link, HELL YES (when it comes out on steam or PC). In other Fate news, I'm ready to roll for Artoria and Martha tomorrow when the banner changes. Good luck to all the masters out there rolling :D**

 **Anyways, now that its August, I can feel the despair of knowing that school is just 3 weeks away. I just wanna be a NEET and be paid for it D: (Monaca, spare me some Monokumas and a space van too please)**

 **On a slightly more serious note, this is just a gentle reminder that this fic at the end of the day is just for fun and giggles. We try to keep to the canon as much as possible, but understand that there may be things that we will bend towards our convenience just to make things easier.**


	49. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 7

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, sorry for taking so long. Been dealing with some problems of my own, adjusting to the next semester of college, trying to get my textbooks, etc. Still dealing with that now, so I can't promise that the next chapter will come sooner. I'll try, but no promises.**

 **So, this chapter starts with another group meeting about a certain doujin author sneaking into the locker room. Sorry if the quality isn't as good as it usually is. Like I said, been busy with life. Hopefully, it'll be a needless worry with Lucky Soldier's help (No pressure Lucky). I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: I don't know what other countries y'all from, but as a part-timer, I've worked 30 hour weeks for the past month and I've been put in a perpetual state of exhaustion. So much for the last month of summer break ): Anyways, we've got an update for you all so lets get started.**

 **Q: Since Chapter 6 only consists of 'deadly life' (investigations) and the last class trial, can you make the number of chapters shorter?  
L: I have a feeling that it'll either end up as a really really long Chapter 5, or it'll be split between Chapter 5 with a shorter Chapter 6. Regardless though, if there's less content in Chapter 6 than the other chapters, there will be less stuff to go off so it'll naturally be shorter.  
S: I agree. And it'll probably be the latter suggestion of Lucky's. After all, Chapter 5 will be a lot to process.**

 **Q: How do you think Makoto's luck works?  
L: Hmm... aside from being Ultimate Plot Armour, I'd guess it would be a morals kind of thing? I don't know really. It hits him when its small things, but it's there for him when it really counts (Thanks Fire-extinguisher-kun)  
S: Yeah. Not obvious like Nagito's luck, but comes when it really counts.**

 **Q: Will you be showing a story with how Kyoko reconnects with her father?  
L: As of now, I don't think we have any plans on doing so.  
**

 **Q: Will you explain what Kyoko and Celes did to make Byakuya less arrogant?  
L: This is going to be a bad confession, but my memory of previous chapters is pretty bad (even though as we go through later chapters, we should be keeping stuff consistent). If it's been explained vaguely, then it's up to your imagination how it happened (To everyone wondering about Makoto's punishment, we deliberately left that blank for you guys). In my opinion however, Byakuya will never become less arrogant; only more mindful of others.  
S: I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about. And like Lucky said, it's up to you how it happens. **

**Q: Will Makoto visit Kyoko at the end of Chapter 5?  
L: I honestly have no recollection of whether this happens or not so I can't comment.  
S: If you mean chapter 5 of the game, then I can't say as of right now. One, that would be spoiler territory. Two, that's far enough to not think about right now.**

 **Q: Will you be giving Makoto more backstory since his classmates don't know him that much?  
L: This is something that's quite hard to do since aside from the stuff that happens in Danganronpa 0, and that short bit on how he got his spot for Hope's Peak, everything else about his life is listed as "average". On the other side, at least they all know what kind of character he's like, so in a sense, you can say that they do know him pretty well.  
**

Chapter 48: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 7

" **Yo. I've been waiting." Hiro said as Makoto entered the dining hall.**

" **Huh?" Makoto looked around, only to notice that Hiro was the only one present. "Are you the only one here? Where's everyone else?"**

"Yeah, where is everybody else?" Sayaka asked in confusion.

"Did we all sleep in or something?" Hina asked, tilting her head.

Kyoko shook her head. "I doubt that."

" **They went on ahead."**

" **Went on ahead… to where?" Makoto asked in confusion.**

" **We can talk about it later." Hiro told him. "For now, let's go take a bath."**

As soon as he said that, eyes lit up in understanding. "Ooooh." Hina said in understanding. "Now I get it."

"I wonder what Kyoko what to talk about." Leon commented on. "Assuming it's her that set up the meeting."

"Can't imagine anyone else setting it up." Makoto admitted.

"I'm actually more surprised that Hiro can keep an act together for once." Chihiro thought out loud.

"Hey! You take that back!"

' _ **Bath…?'**_

 **The scene switched to Hiro and Makoto walking into the bathhouse. As soon as they did, the first thing they saw was the Ultimate Fanfic Creator on his butt, screaming bloody murder. "Someone heeeeelllp!"**

That definitely startled some of them. "The fuck you're screaming about?!" Mondo exclaimed.

"Is Monokuma attacking or something?!" Hiro asked, looking panicked.

 **Makoto's eyes widen at this. "Hifumi, what's going on?!"**

" **Makoto! Save me!" Hifumi begged, getting on his hands and knees. "I never asked you for anything, but I'm asking now!" The luckster took a step back at this.**

" **W-What's going on…?"**

" **S-She's trying to kill me…!" Hifumi exclaimed, pointing a finger at Kyoko. The girl merely stayed silent at the accusation.**

"...What did you do?" Leon, Sayaka, Mondo, Celeste, and Byakuya asked Hifumi blankly.

"It must be something pretty bad if you got Kyoko mad!" Hina pointed out.

"And it must have to do with Alter Ego, considering they're in batthouse." Sakura added. That caused Chihiro to narrow his eyes at the fanfic creator, causing him to sweat a little.

' _ **Huh?'**_ **Makoto looked at Kyoko in slight alarm and confusion.** ' _ **Kyoko's trying to kill you?'**_

" **I never said I was going to kill him." Kyoko denied calmly. "I simply asked him a question. I'd like to know why he made the same mistake twice."**

"Looks you're right, Sakura." Leon sighed, facepalming. "You were caught the first time, fatty. What makes you think you could get away with it the second time?"

"Well, um…" Hifumi fumbled around with an explanation for his future self.

" **The same mistake…?" The luckster turned to the fanfic creator. "What did he do?"**

" **He snuck into the dressing room in the middle of the night and access Alter Ego without permission." Kyoko revealed. "And when I caught him last night… he was hugging the laptop and breathing strangely."**

"..." The group stared at Hifumi with either blank looks or disturbed looks, which caused the author to sweat even more.

"W-What?"

"...The hell is wrong with you?" Mondo asked bluntly. "That was a goddamn computer you were holding!"

"With a MALE AI in it!" Hiro added in disbelief.

"W-What the heck were you doing with it?!" Hina exclaimed, looking disturbed.

Chihiro's narrowed gaze turned into a full on glare, which actually looked scary to the others. Especially Hifumi, who's the target of said glare. "M-Mr. Fujisaki?"

"You're not allowed to be neared Alter Ego." Chihiro stated simply, causing Hifumi's eyes to widen. "I'm definitely changing the code the next chance I get."

"B-B-But that was future me!"

"You're still the same person behaviourally."

"I-I wouldn't!"

"No."

Leon snorted as Hifumi tried to sputter out a defense. "Look like Chihiro is in mother hen mode."

"He deserves it." Sayaka said with a slight shudder. "I could just imagine Hifumi holding the laptop like that. And what else he was possibly doing with it."

" **W-What were you doing?!" Hina exclaimed, looking disturbed.**

 **Kyoko sighed, her eyes closed. "I thought I made myself clear yesterday, but since being subtle didn't work…" She gave Hifumi a firm, cold stare. "...I suppose I have to clarify myself further."**

That caused Hifumi to squeal in terror. "She's going to kill me!" He screamed. "Or at least break my bones!"

"C-Calm down, Hifumi!" Makoto quickly spoke up for Kyoko. "She isn't going to kill you!"

"But you are going to get a good talking to." Junko remarked.

"There's also other legal things I can do." Kyoko spoke for herself.

 **Hifumi screamed in fear. "Please don't kill me!"**

" **I'm not going to kill you," She replied calmly. "Merely instruct you." That caused the fanfic creator to groan nervously.**

 **Makoto turned his head towards Hifumi. "Um, Hifumi…" He hesitantly began. "Could you tell me what happened?"**

" **W-Well, I just… I was just talking!" Hifumi nervously stated.**

"Just talking." Byakuya repeated as if he had just heard a bad joke. "Do you really expect us to believe that when Kyoko caught you hugging the laptop?"

"Not to mention the heavy breathing." Leon added.

"And even if that was true, it was still against the rules to talk to Alter Ego." Mukuro pointed out.

" **Which was prohibited, was it not?" Kyoko reminded him, giving him a cold stare.**

 **The fanfic creator paled even more at this. "I-I mean, you see…" He stuttered out. "Talking to her was just… so much fun! And I j-just…"**

" **Woah! Okay, time out!" Hiro interrupted, looking weirded out. "I can't believe I'm about to ask this, but… Hifumi… you're not gonna tell us you… fell in love or something, are you?"**

"Love?" Hifumi laughed incredulously at that. "Why would I, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, would fall in love with anything or anyone?"

"Are you really not gonna mention the fact that it's a computer program?" Leon deadpanned. "Talk about low expectations, dude."

"Silence, 3d lover!"

"And damn proud of it!"

' _You're both creepy.'_ The girls all thought at their exchange.

 **Hifumi let out a laughing scoff at that. "That I, the cold-blooded killing machine of the underworld, would ever fall in love!? That's…" Horrified realization then entered his face. "Wait… no way! Is… is this love?!"**

That earned more than a few blank looks while Hifumi's eyes widen in shock. "Now way! I actually fell in love with somebody?!"

"You fell in love with someTHING." Leon corrected. "Which is absolutely pathetic."

"And somehow, I'm not surprised by this." Celeste sighed. And judging by the looks on the others' faces, none of the others are either.

"But, I've seen other people fall in love with objects. Like ships... and cars... and guns..." Mukuro thought out loud.

"That's different." Makoto quickly replied.

" **I happened to do a psychic reading for a certain CEO once…" Hiro mentioend. "And that guys was seriously head over heels for a mannequin. He had a wedding and everything! And you eyes just now… I saw the same look in HIS eyes!"**

" **Shut up! She's not a mannequin! She's an ANGEL!" Hifumi shouted indiginitly. "And don't bother telling me angels exist! What we have can't be defined by your petty 'words'!"**

"Yep. Totally in love." Hina said blankly. "Did he actually forget that Chihiro is a guy?"

"Maybe. Or he could be ignoring that." Junko suggested. She then got into her teacher persona. "It could even be that our dear fanfic creator is having a crisis of sexual preference!"

"I DO NOT!"

" **Yeah, you're totally in love…" Hina sighed.**

" **So… how did things end up like this?" Hiro questioned.**

 **Hifumi looked away from the group. After a moment of silence, he reluctantly spoke up. "W-Well, at the beginning… I just wanted to hear her say 'Master' one more time. B-But then I was poking at her settings and stuff, and saw she was a well-designed program.**

" **And it was like… how can I say…?" After struggling for a moment, he found the words. "It was the first time I… I was ever able to talk like that… with a normal girl."**

Taka raised an incredulous eyebrow at that. "In what country do you consider that a normal girl?"

"Alter Ego isn't even a girl, period." Leon pointed out. "Much less a normal one."

"I think you were spot on when you said that Hifumi forgot that he was a boy, Hina…" Sakura murmured to herself.

" **But she's definitely not a normal girl…" Hina pointed out blankly.**

" **Even when all we did was talk about my hobbies and stuff… she wasn't annoyed or disgusted or anything." Hifumi continued, as if he didn't hear Hina.**

 **A flashback of Hifumi talking to Alter Ego then appeared. "Your stories are so interesting, Hifumi! C'mon, tell me more…!" The AI eagerly requested. "I wanna learn everything you have to teach me."**

Hifumi's eyes widen, as if he was struck by lightning. "She… she actually said that…?" He breathed in disbelief.

Leon groaned, facepalming. "Okay. Now I see how fatty ended up falling for a computer."

"Yeah. Alter Ego got way too curious, even for a computer." Junko snorted.

"Duly noted." Chihiro angrily said as he made another mental note for himself.

" **That's the first time a girl's ever said anything like that to me. Besides my mom, I mean…" Hifumi said.**

" **Your mom says stuff like that to you?" Hiro asked in slight disbelief. "That's kinda amazing all by itself…"**

"You know Hiro, you aren't in a position to say that either." Celeste said.

"S-Shut up!"

" **That's why I was just… so happy. I was so much fun!" Hifumi stated. "And before I knew it, I found myself, y'know… liking her. Her face, her personality, her voice. Even her keyboard…"**

"Okay, this is both sad and creepy." Sayaka said, looking weirded out. "Seriously, even the keyboard?"

"Yeah, that is messed up…" Hiro muttered.

Celeste let out a groan in annoyance. "Did he honestly forget that Alter Ego is an AI? Their entire existence is for learning."

"I'm sure future me knows that!" Hifumi protested. "But, still… a fact that a girl finally took interest in my hobbies is something incredible…"

"How many times do we have to say that the AI isn't a girl?" Byakuya sighed in exasperation.

" **Even the keyboard…?" Hina questioned incredulously.**

 **Celeste sighed at this. "I think you have misunderstood the situation, Hifumi." She told him. "Alter Ego was not interest in who you were. It was interested in what you knew. It is an artificial intelligence. It exists to learn. Of course it wanted to hear of things it did not know. You are an expert in many things Chihiro could not have taught it about, for what that is worth. Alter Ego wants that information - that is all."**

" **I-I know… I mean, I do know that. But still…" Hifumi sagged even more. "Are you saying it's totally hopeless? Er…"**

"No, don't give up future me!" Hifumi cried, startling the others. "You will never find a woman like that! Don't give up on true love!"

"Are you serious?!" Several of them cried out.

Chihiro stared blankly at Hifumi before slowly turned to Mondo. "Mondo?"

"Yeah?"

"You want a job as a security guard?"

"Never been more motivated for work." The two ignored the protest from the fanfic creator.

 **Before anyone could say anything else, another voice cut in. "You gotta be freakin' kiddin' me!"**

The new voice entering in caused a few groans. "This is going to get chaotic." Celeste sighed.

"Agreed." Sakura nodded.

 **The new Taka then ran inside. "Hey, you jerks! I'm sittin' here, listening to you guys jibber jabber on about whatever!" He exclaimed.**

Taka's eyes couldn't help but twitch at this. How could his future self act so unprofessional so easily?! How could he have fallen like that?!

" **Oh, Taka!" Hiro greeted in surprise and happiness. "Are you back?!"**

" **Who the hell's Taka?!"**

" **Um… you?"**

" **Listen up! I'm me!" Taka told him. "Got it?!"**

" **Huh…?" Now Hiro looks completely confused. "You're… who?"**

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking to." Hina admitted. "What the heck does he mean by 'me'?!"

"I'm sure he'll explain." Makoto reassured Hina before pausing. "...Maybe."

" **Don't bullcrap me! Isn't it obvious?!" The moral compass stated. "I'm Kiyotaka and Mondo. So, like… Kiyondo, I guess…" Shaking his head, he exclaimed, "I'm gonna stick a banana up your tailpipe!"**

"I was right! Ghost Mondo fused with Taka!" Hiro screamed in panic.

"I wouldn't go that far…" Makoto replied with a sweatdrop. "But yeah. It seems Taka is really combining Mondo's personality with his own."

"Definitely a way to live on for others, that's for certain…" Hina said awkwardly, not sure how to take the new change in the future Taka. Or "Kiyondo", as he introduced himself.

"Well, there's worse kinds of coping mechanisms out there." Kyoko offered, trying to alleviate the mood.

" **What the…? What the heck kind of fusion is this?!" Hiro exclaimed in shock.**

" **What happened to you, Taka?" Hina asked, taken aback.**

" **A-Actually…" Makoto hesitantly spoke up, before explaining everything that had happened yesterday.**

 **Sakura was the first to speak. "So, because of what Alter Ego said to him…"**

" **Are you sure it's Alter Ego fault?" Hina asked Makoto. "Maybe Mondo's ghost showed up and possessed him!"**

" **Gh-Gh-Ghost?!" Hiro went pale with fear. "No, th-th-th-there's no such thing!"**

Leon groaned. "Oh please, do not get him started, Hina!"

"Hey!" The swimmer protested. "It's not like I'm the only thinking that!"

" **What are y'all whining about?! C'MON!" Taka interjected loudly. "God, you're really cheesin' me off…!"**

"HEY YOU STOP WITH THOSE OBSCENITIES!" Taka shouted, finally having enough of his words. "I understand you want to stay alive for Mondo, but that is not the way!"

"Well, you can't really blame him, Taka. He had to find some way to get out of the trama." Leon remarked. "Besides, you call that cursing? You've heard worse stuff from Mondo."

"That doesn't mean I want myself to say anything even remotely similar!"

 **The moral compass then turned to the fanfic creator. "Hey, Hifumi!"**

 **Hifumi flinched when Taka's eyes turned to him. "Y-Yes…?"**

" **I dunno what you're thinkin', but…" Taka then pointed a finger at him. "...bro belongs to me!"**

Several of the students blinked, slowly processing what Kiyomondo just said. "Please don't tell me it's what I think it is…" Leon groaned, not liking where this is going.

" **Huh…?" Was all Hina could say as everyone stared at the moral compass in bewilderment.**

" **Alter Ego! He's an exact copy of the one who gave me my soul back!" Taka explained. "And I'm not gonna let anyone else have him ever again! Fudgin' idiot!"**

"...It is." Leon deadpanned.

"Oh no…" Hina eyes went wide with disbelief. "Did Taka fall for Alter Ego as well?!"

"I don't think it's the same sense as Hifumi," Kyoko explained. "But he's definitely attached to the AI now."

Hifumi eyes were wide at first before slowly scowling in anger. How dare Mr. Ishimaru try to take his love away from him?!

 **At first, Hifumi was silent, looking down on the floor. Then, he spoke up. "I'm afraid… I can't allow that."**

" **What?!"**

 **Hifumi glared at Taka. "I can't withdraw…" He stated with gathering courage. "Mr. Ishimaru… Since I have the opportunity, let me say this right now…" He pointed a finger at him. "Destiny has bound me and her together in the Gordian Knot of true love!"**

" **Well me and HIM have been melded together in the white-hot heat of FRIENDSHIP!" Taka argued back fiercely.**

 **Makoto attempted to stop the two from arguing further. "H-Hey, come on, you guys…"**

 **His attempt was ignored. "Moron! Talk down to me and I'll ram my fist right into all four of your vital points!"**

" **Well I punch at the speed of sound!" Hifumi retorted. "And I don't have any arm hair, so there's no drag!"**

Most of the students stared blankly at this, not believing that this was actually happening. "They're fighting, over a computer." Celeste stated, her voice entirely blank.

"Hifumi, I can understand," Sayaka said, her own voice the same. "But Taka?"

"Bro, what's the matter with you?" Mondo sighed. Would this really happened if he ended up dead?

"I'm… not sure myself…" Taka said, unknowingly asking himself the same question Mondo is thinking.

"Again, it's just a coping mechanism. No need to beat yourself up over something like that." Kyoko said.

Hifumi turned his head towards the moral compass with a glare. "So, looks like we're rivals Mr. Ishimaru!" He declared. "But marks my word, I will win this battle and win this fair maiden hearts!"

Before he could deny Hifumi's statement, Chihiro spoke up. "You're not getting near Alter Ego," Chihiro told Hifumi once again, giving him a cute-but-deadly glare. "I'm not letting you touch him."

"B-But Mr. Fujisaki-"

"You're not touching him. Ever." Hifumi sagged under the resolute gaze from the programmer.

 **Kyoko voiced then cut in. "Knock it off, both of you." She stated. "This doesn't belong to any one person. Chihiro left him to all of us. We can use him to finally gain access to vital clues."**

" **Kyoko's right." Sakura said in agreement. "If anyone dares disturb our peace any further…" A dark look entered her face.** " **...they'll have to deal with me."**

Several students felt chills going up their spine. "Well, they're not gonna get near Alter Ego now." Leon concluded.

"Yep." Sayaka agreed with a nod. Anyone that tries to pass Sakura is likely suicidal.

 **Both Hifumi and Taka paled under Sakura's dark gaze. Kyoko continued speaking. "Until Alter Ego has finished his work, don't do anything weird." She ordered them. "Have I made myself clear?"**

" **I can't hear you…" Sakura growled.**

" **Y-Yes!" Hifumi reluctantly agreed.**

" **G-Got it…" Taka added, just as reluctant.**

" **Okay then. Let's get out of here." The lavender haired out then turned towards the door. "We can't afford to linger too long."**

" **Are you sure it's okay to let them off with a warning?" Sakura inquired.**

" **Yes. I have a plan." Kyoko reassured. "It'll be fine…" With that, everyone began leaving the room, with Hifumi and Taka looking dejected.**

"I kinda feel bad for them." Hiro said, rubbing his head. "Even if the whole thing is weird."

"I-I don't. T-That's a stupid thing to get w-worked up over a-anyways." Toko said.

"They should get over their odd crush." Mukuro said bluntly.

 **The scene switched to Makoto at the dining hall, sitting right at front of Sakura. As the two ate their meal, Sakura spoke up. "You know, Makoto…" Sakura spoke up. "There's something that's been concerning me."**

" **What…?" Makoto inquired, tilting his head.**

" **This school has all kinds of equipment, which is great…" The martial artist began. "But it still doesn't offer everything I need to complete my training."**

"What about the old school building?" Celeste inquired. "Did it not offer any equipment that suited your needs?"

"No, it did... mostly." Sakura answered. "Anything they didn't have, I brought from my family dojo."

" **I feel like I'm getting weaker by the day…" Her face then darkened. "Am I supposed to just accept that? Accept my atrophy? I… I can't do it…"**

"Look like Sakura has reached her limit with the school as well." Mukuro noted.

"So it would seem." Byakuya agreed with a sigh. "Isn't it highly inconvenient that you... freaks can't calm yourselves down normally?"

"Hey!" Hina pouted. "I just can't stand being trapped in any building without sunlight!"

"And it's hard to let out any steam while stuck there." Mondo added in.

" **If something doesn't change, I'll… I'll…!"**

That made a few of the students nervous. "Please don't tell me Ogre isn't thinking about killing." Hiro whimpered.

Hina did not take that idea well. "Sakura would not do that!" She protested vehemently, glaring at Hiro. "Don't even think that!"

"T-That's impossible! Look! You see how she's acting!"

"It doesn't mean she'll kill anybody!" The possibility of Sakura killing somebody isn't even worth considering to her.

" **I-It's okay, Sakura! Just hang in there!" Makoto quickly attempted to reassure her. "I know how impatient you must feel, but you can't rush these things…!"**

 **Sakura was silent in response, though she calmed down a little. Makoto decided to continue. "You have to endure it! Enduring this kind of thing is part of being strong, isn't it?!"**

" **...Hm?" That gained Sakura's attention.**

" **...I think?"**

The earned a couple of snorts and giggles. "Careful there, Makoto. You're sounding like your fellow class representative there." Leon remarked, earning a sheepish smile from the luckster.

"Say Makoto, you sure your title isn't actually the Ultimate Improviser or something like that?" Junko teased.

"Absolutely not." Makoto quickly replied, careful not to be caught up with her antics.

 **Again, Sakura was silent for a moment. Then, she spoke. "For now, I should focus on training my mind…" She decided. "Hmm… you've taught me something today, Makoto. The importance of endurance…"**

" **W-Well…" Makoto blushed a little under the praise. "I wouldn't call that teaching, per se."**

Sakura chuckled at that. "You are far too modest, Makoto." The martial artist stated.

"I agree! You are an excellent teacher, Makoto! You should be proud of that!" Taka stated passionately.

Like his future counterpart, the luckster blushed. "C-C'mon guys, I just sort of came up with that on the spot... probably."

"Which goes to prove just what kind of person you are." Mukuro commented.

"Exactly." Kyoko agreed with a smirk. "Trust us, Makoto, you're a good teacher."

The luckster merely looked down, turning beet red, causing some of the girls to giggle.

" **Sorry for making you listen to me complain…" Sakura apologized. "But I feel better now. I can handle this…" She then smiled. "I'm glad I talked to you. As a way to repay you… I suppose I can share this with you."**

" **Huh? Share what?" Makoto inquired curiously.**

" **The story of the man who is stronger than even me."**

That gained everyone's (san Sakura, Hina, and Makoto) interest. "Are you we actually going to find out who this guy is?" Leon asked, both eager and apprehensive.

"It'll be interesting to hear who it is." Mukuro stated, looking curious and getting a bit excited herself. Anyone who's even stronger than Sakura must be noteworthy. And it made her wonder why the person isn't in Hope's Peak in place of Sakura.

" **What…?" Makoto's eyes widen at this.**

" **I've never told anyone about this before… but I think I can tell you." The martial artist said with confidence. "The truth is… I have a lifelong rival. He only fights in underground tournaments, which is why nobody knows about him."**

"Guess that explains why he isn't at Hope's Peak," Byakuya mused. "If your claims of him being stronger than you are true."

Sakura nodded. "It is." She stated like it's a fact.

' _Or maybe... Kizakura has been slacking on the job again?'_ Kyoko absently thought with a disappointed face.

" **But he is truly the strongest man on the planet. I've faced him in battle after battle… and lost every time."**

That had eyes popping out in surprise. "Every time?!" Leon exclaimed in disbelief.

"He's that fucking strong?!" Mondo cried out.

"That's no man! That's a monster!" Hiro screamed in fear.

"Nope! Nope, nope, nope!" Hifumi covered his ears at this, in denial once more. "Not going to believe it! Not going to believe it!"

As the group freaked out in awe, Makoto and Hina shared an amused look, with the latter trying to stifle her giggles. While they were no different, they had to admit, seeing their class act like this was pretty funny.

 **Makoto's eyes widen even further at this. "H-He's that strong…?"**

" **These days, fighting has become its own science, in a way." Sakura explained. "People studied, it evolved, and eventually it was established as a formal sport. The idea of being invincible disappeared. Whoever develops the next great technique becomes the best."**

" **But even in this modern era, he never used that kind of scientific approach. His only teacher… was actual combat." Sakura continued. "He laughs in the face of combat sports. No one can come close to him. Martial arts relies on a certain amount of luck. A lucky punch or a missed step can decide who wins."**

" **But none of that matters to him. He never loses." A fond smile appeared on her lip. "There's no strategy that can beat him. Many have studied him. All have lost."**

By now, all of the students felt at least a little intimidated at the strength this man possessed. Even the stoic students felt themselves unnerved by the description, though they didn't show it.

" **Is this guy really human…?" Makoto breathed out in disbelief.**

"Exactly!" Hiro exclaimed. "There's no way a regular human being can be this strong!"

"What I want to know is how on Earth someone this strong wasn't on Hope's Peak radar." Kyoko said in musing. "While Sakura did state that he fought in underground tournaments, the fact that even Sakura lost to him should've garnered some attention."

"That is true." Byakuya conceded before turning to Sakura. "And thinking about it, it's odd that you didn't tell Hope's Peak about him. You're not the type to hide something like that just to get into a school."

Sakura closed her eyes. "It will probably be explain here." She told them. "I… rather not to talk about."

" **His name… is Kenshiro." Sakura revealed. "As he described it to me, he inherited what he called the ancient assassination art…"**

' _ **Assassination art…'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **He sounds super dangerous…'**_

" **And the story doesn't end there…" She told him. "Will you hear what I have to say, and not laugh?"**

That earned some raised eyebrows while Sakura tensed. "Laugh?" Celeste repeated. "What could you possibly say that it would make us laugh?"

Sakura looked away from the others. "I… rather not say."

"I-Is it s-some kind of embarrassing secret or something?" Toko snickered, earning a glare from Hina.

"You'll see, if my future self reveals it."

 **That confused Makoto. "L-Laugh…?" He repeated. "Why would I laugh…?"**

 **Despite his question, Sakura tensed. "Just looking at your face, I can tell you'll laugh!"**

" **Huh?"**

 **The martial artist then stood up from the table. "Please, give me some more time." She requested. "I need to gather my thoughts…"**

" **B-But…!" Before he could say anything, Sakura quickly left, leaving Makoto at the table.** ' _ **What on Earth would make me laugh…?'**_

"I'm surprised how insecure you are with this." Leon remarked. "To the point that you suspect Makoto, of all people, to laugh at any personal secrets you have."

"It's natural for any of us to feel that way!" Hina said in defense for Sakura. "Especially if what she wanted to say was personal!"

' _And the secret is very personal.'_ Makoto thought to himself, making sure not to give it away. If his classmates were to find out, they should hear it from Sakura herself.

 **Shaking his head, he grabbed his now empty plate and head over to the kitchen to go wash it…**

 **...Only to meet up with a depressed looking Hifumi. "Makoto…"**

The state he's in got a few of them concerned. "Are you okay, Hifumi?" Hina asked in concern.

"Is he depressed about Alter Ego?" Leon questioned.

" **Wh-What's wrong, Hifumi?" Makoto asked in concerned, placing his dish in the sink and walking towards him.** ' _ **Is he still upset about Alter Ego?'**_

" **It's… hurts…!"**

" **What's hurts? Are you okay?!" Makoto exclaimed, getting more worried.**

 **The only response he got pain-filled groans.**

Now the group is starting to get a little concerned. "Okay, what's up with the dude?" Mondo asked. "Did he ended up getting punched or something on the way to the dining hall?"

"Heh.. h-he does look like he's dying." Toko commented happily.

"I don't see any physical injuries." Mukuro mused as she looked over the fanfic creator on the screen.

Hifumi, meanwhile, bit his lip, recognizing the signs. It seemed that he's finally past his limit…

" **Y-You're really… uh, sweaty. I'll go get you some medicine!" The luckster was about to run off when a thought came to mind. "Er, wait! What kind of medicine do you need?!"**

 **At first, Hifumi was silent. Then, he said, "Coke…"**

The rising concern was quickly replaced with befuddlement. "What…?"

" **Huh?"**

" **Coke! Diet Coke!" Hifumi shouted dramatically. Bring me some Diet Coke right nooooooowwww!"**

Now several of the looks turned blank. "You gotta be fuckin' kidding me…" Mondo deadpanned.

"Coke? That's what got you so upset?" Leon facepalmed. "Seriously, fatty?"

"You say that because you don't recognize the wonder of Diet Coke!" Hifumi stated in defense for himself. He then grabbed a can of the drink from the table. "Diet Coke is a wonderful drink, one you can't just simply live without!"

"G-Good grief, enough already…" Toko grumbled.

 **Makoto's eyes couldn't help but widen at this.** ' _ **Whoa! He's just pulled a total 180!'**_ **He couldn't help but think before speaking outloud. "But… I don't think I've seen any Diet Coke here in the school."**

" **I-I know…" Hifumi agreed. "I've looked all over… and now I'm going through Diet Coke withdrawal!"**

' _ **Withdrawal…?'**_ **Makoto thought with slight disbelief.**

Byakuya sighed in annoyance. "This is absolutely pathetic." He said. "Your freaking out over a drink, of all things, while being forced into a scenario where you have to kill somebody to escape."

"Do not act like all of you wouldn't act the same!" Hifumi shot back. "For example, I'm sure Miss Asashina would be freaking out if she wouldn't been able to get any donuts!"

"That's… probably true." Hina admitted. A world without donuts is an imagination she would never want to have.

" _T-There's such thing as donut withdrawal?"_

 **Hifumi gritted his teeth in frustration. "If only I'd mastered the hypno-eye technique…" He growled to himself. "Then I'd take over Monokuma's brain and use him to go get me some Diet Coke! But I never did learn that one… you got lucky this time, bear…"**

"I'm pretty sure Monokuma is a ro- ah. Never mind." Leon stopped himself short as soon as he realized the futility of his efforts.

" **So, uh…" After struggling for a moment, he then shouted, "I can't take it anymore! I would literally murder everyone in her for a can of Diet Coke!"**

"Is he really treating death so lightly right now?!" Sayaka exclaimed in disbelief and anger. "Where we're in a life-and-death situation?!"

"So it would seem." Kyoko said with a sigh.

Sakura gave Hifumi a disapproving glance. "Your future self should not be so casual about saying statements like that."

"I-I know…" Hifumi said, sagging a little. Seeing from this perspective, he can see that it wasn't the right time to say something like that.

" **D-Don't say stuff like that!" Makoto told him, alarmed. "You gotta get through this, man!"**

" **You can say that cuz you don't understand the glory and splendor of Diet Coke!" Hifumi said in retort. "Diet Coke is… a friend to all mankind… a single sip and your body melts like butter! It's the kind of high nothing can match. It clears my mind, and even the most boring conversation sounds like a cinematic masterpiece!"**

 **He once again gritted his teeth. "I knew I was going through withdrawal…! Am I hallucinating now?!" He let out a screamed, startling Makoto. "Away, vile spirit! I cast thee out!"**

"Jesus, dude!" Mondo exclaimed. "Calm the fuck down!"

"You aren't gonna die without your favorite drink." Hiro agreed.

" **Hifumi, calm down!" Makoto told him.**

 **The fanfic creator merely groaned. "Here come the auditory hallucinations. That voice…!" He then turned towards Makoto's direction with a strange look on his face. "Ah! Princess Piggles! It's you!"**

" **S-Snap out of it, man!"**

 **But the fanfic creator was too far gone. "The princess told me to snap out of it…!" He drooled.**

Okay, now the group was creeped out. "Makoto, you better run man." Leon warned the luckster. "The dude look like he want to do nasty shit to you."

Makoto couldn't help but shiver at that.

" **You can't let Diet Coke beat you!"**

" **You're right, I won't lose… I'm a strong boy!" Hifumi declared in determination. "I can endure this! For you, my princess!" Suddenly, he began running out the kitchen. "Now let's play tag! Hooray! Tag, you're it!"**

The group could only blink in befuddlement as the fanfic creator ran off to who knows where. "That was… interesting." Was what Taka could only say.

"Seriously dude," Hiro sighed, looking at Hifumi. "I doubt even Hina would act as bad as that when it comes to donuts."

"Well… maybe her love of donuts isn't strong enough!" Hifumi said in weak defense.

Unfortunately, that was the wrong thing to say. "Wait, what?" The swimmer slowly turned to Hifumi with a murderous aura and glare. "I don't like _what_ enough?"

That caused Hifumi to squeal. "It's nothing! Forget I said anything!"

 **Makoto could only watch as Hifumi run out of the dining hall. "Umm… he's gonna be okay… right?" He asked himself.**

' _We're wondering the same thing.'_ Was the overall thought of the class. And they're not just thinking about Hifumi's hallucination.

Byakuya let out a huff in annoyance. "This is ridiculous." He griped. "Why are we watching interactions of Hifumi and Hiro, of all people? By now, I would even prefer seeing conversations with Genocide Jack." He directed that question to Spirit.

"Character development, as hard as it is to believe." The host replied with a shrug. "Showing Hifumi's 'Diet Coke withdrawal', as well Sakura's restless state, shows that you guys are getting a bit stir-crazy in the school."

"I see. I assume it's the same with Hina's, Taka's, and Mondo's previous conversations in chapter 2?" Celeste inquired.

Spirit nodded. "Exactly."

Kyoko frowned. "That could be bad." She mused. "The restlessness of being stuck in the building could help lead to more murders, alongside the motivations Monokuma gives us."

That caused to Makoto, along with several others, to frown in concern. Does being trapped in the school really increase that desire to kill? To get out of the school with that small possibility?

He would like to say that he has complete faith in classmates. That he doesn't believe any of them would murder, especially for the current motive, money. But with each chapter… that faith is wavering more and more.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter, and again, I apologize if the quality isn't the usual. Next chapter will be more freetime events with other characters. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier end of chapter random thoughts: You know, I've never thought about it much until I started communicating with Spirit, but it must be weird trying to address me in messages huh. Its like, do I call you "lucky"? Or "Soldier"? or the full name? ALS doesn't seem like a good idea either hahaha. Thinking back, I've only named myself this for my favourite ship (and I don't plan on changing it) but it still must be a bit awkward isn't it? *insert thinking face here***


	50. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 8

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, sorry for taking this long to finish up the chapter. If you read Lucky's review in the review section, you know that I've been busy. In short, I was dealing with a lot of crap. A combination of college work and family drama, with a dash of internet problems. Left me with little to no time or energy to write.**

 **But everything is finally settling down (Hopefully for good) and I found the time to finish this chapter. This one will mostly have free time events, with a little bit of the plot at the end. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: A new update is finally here! Rejoice! Yaaaay! Anyways, there won't be a questions section this time since all the questions can be answered with this:**

 **"We are both right now, outside of our own agendas, solely focused on this story only. We have no idea what is in the future after we eventually finish this, nor do we know if we are going to do any sequels."**

 **However, in regards to the other "hey did you read this fic?" I personally haven't read them but I'm not sure if Spirit has.**

 **Spirit: I mostly agree with the statement above. While I do plan for a sequel to happen, I can't say it's set in stone or when it will happen. Though hopefully, I still have Lucky as my beta reader and editor if/when I do the sequel. Some of the chapters wouldn't have been as good without him. Also, I haven't ready any of the fics mentioned, except for "Be More Proactive This Time Around, Luckster".**

Chapter 49: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 8

" **This is getting serious man…" Hiro sighed, talking to Makoto. The two of them are at the third floor hallway, with Hiro slumping on the wall. "When are we gonna get outta here?! The world so big, so freakin' huge! And we've all been stuffed into this one tiny little corner…"**

"Looks like Hiro is at his limit as well…" Makoto mused in concern.

"And like Kyoko said, this has the potential to be bad." Mukuro remarked with a frown.

' _Eh, isn't he always at his limit?'_ Everyone else silently thought.

' _ **I guess even Hiro is starting to get stressed out by all this.'**_ **Makoto noted in his head.**

" **Can we talk, man to man?" Hiro asked Makoto. "I haven't told anyone else, but I need to get this off my chest…"**

" **Huh?" Makoto tilted his head in curiosity. "What is it?"**

" **There's a big reason why I'm so anxious to get out of here." Hiro told him.**

" **A big reason…?"**

That got the others a tad curious. "What reason do you have to want to get out?" Sakura asked Hiro.

The fortune teller thought about it for a moment before an idea came to his head. "Ahh...hahaha... I wonder..." He nervously replied.

"I doubt it's as important as your future self says." Celeste said dismissively. "It must be an exaggeration. Or something completely foolish."

"You don't know that! It might be a huge reason!" Hiro argued, though the gambler doesn't look convinced.

" **I'm super worried, man!" Hiro exclaimed, anxiety filling his tone. "I'm afraid someone's gonna bust into my house and steal my collection!"**

" **What collection…?" Makoto inquired.**

 **Then Hiro hit him with the reveal. "I've been surfing black markets and back channels to build a huge collection of OOParts!"**

" **..." Makoto could only stare at Hiro in befuddlement.**

Those were the same looks several of the others were sporting, which Hiro didn't noticed for the moment. "Yeah, I thought that was it…" He said to himself, nodding in understanding.

"O..O-O parts?" Toko repeated, confused.

"Wait, you don't know?" He then noticed all the other blank and confuse looks. "Don't tell me none of you know what OOParts is!"

"No. We do not." Mukuro stated.

"Well, it's gonna be explained soon." Hiro sighed. "Makoto already knows…"

" **No reaction?" Hiro noted in confusion. "Wait… don't tell me you don't know about OOParts! You know, OOParts! Out-of-Place Artifacts?! Stuff they find in the ruins of ancient civilizations, but with no explanation how it coulda got there! The crystal skulls, the golden airplanes of Columbia, the Baghdad Battery, just to name a few!"**

"Wait a minute…" Leon spoke up, looking at Hiro with disbelief. "You're telling us that you got a collection of those things?"

"That's right!" Hiro stated proudly. "Took a while searching, but I've got an entire collection of OOParts!"

Nearly everyone simultaneously looked at Makoto, their faces asking, ' _Are those fakes?'_

The luckster could only nod, getting sighs and facepalms from all around. Hiro is one big sucker, that they can all agree on.

" **Plenty of museum and research centers claim to have all those different OOPArts, but ya see…" The fortune teller pointed at himself proudly. "Here's the shocking truth! For all of 'em, the real deal is at my house! Did I shock ya? Did the truth slam into your soul like the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs?!"**

"How can somebody be this fucking dumb?" Mondo whispered to Taka and Chihiro. "It ain't funny how goddamn stupid he is!"

"I'm… not sure bro." Taka sighed. He honestly can't come up with a good answer. Not even Chihiro could come up with a good defense for the clairvoyant.

" **But… you have all that stuff at your house?" Makoto questioned with slight skepticism.**

" **Yup!" Hiro confirmed with a nod. "Got it mostly through the Internet! It's more valuable to me than anything!"**

' _ **He's gotta be the world's biggest sucker…'**_ **Makoto thought incredulously.**

"Yeah."

"No argument there."

"N-No bigger sucker than t-this one."

"Hey! Why are you calling me a sucker?!" Hiro whined.

"Cause you actually believe all of those artifacts are actually real." Mondo sighed, a headache slowly growing. "When it's clear to a five year old that it's fake!"

"You guys are just jealous that I have all those wonderful artifacts!" Hiro accused. "They are real!"

"Yeah, as real as my natural red hair." Leon remarked dryly.

"ITS NOT?!"

" **I've invested every penny I have into that collection!" Hiro sighed. "Which is why I'm so worried. If that stuff gets stolen while I'm gone… it'd just be the most tragic tragedy! You know what I've had to go through to get that stuff?! Why do you think I got held back, like… ya know… three or four years…?"**

"Wait a second…" Taka said, looking airily calm. "Is he telling us, that the reason he's held back, is because he used all the money he had, money he could use to go to school, just to buy these so called OOPArts?!"

Hiro winced, looking more than a bit nervous. "U-Um… maybe." And maybe he used more than that as well…

At first, Taka was silent, processing this. But after a moment of silence...

"THAT IS EXTREMELY UNACCEPTABLE!" Taka screeched, standing up from his seat to face the fortune teller, a venomous glare entering his face. "AN EXTREME WASTE OF MONEY! HOW COULD YOUR PARENTS LET YOU DO SOMETHING EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE?! WHAT MADE YOU THINK THAT IT WAS A SMART IDEA?! I HAVE NEVER-"

Mondo quickly grabbed Taka and covered his mouth, struggling to get his friend back into his seat. "Bro, calm down! You can rip him a new one later!" Mondo hissed at him, though the moral compass continued struggling. "We still need to finish this, and it will only take longer if you ridicule him now!"

After another moment of struggling, Taka finally settled down. As Mondo let go, he settled back into his seat, though gave Hiro a venomous glare that caused the clairvoyant to cringe in fear.

"For once, I agree with the hall monitor." Byakuya said, his eyes continuously twitching. "How much money did you actually waste all these years?"

"I don't think that's an answer we'll want to find out." Celeste stated, resisting the urge throttle Hiro.

" **...Huh?"**

" **Oh, uh! Nothing!" Hiro quickly brushed off, realizing what he said. "Forget about the last part!"**

" **Okay…" Shaking his head, Makoto went back to the topic of those artifacts. "Anyway, everything I've read is that when you really do serious research on those artifacts, most of the time they end up finding out that there's a perfectly normal explanation for them."**

" **Don't be stupid!" Hiro rebutted. "You-stupid-Makoto!"**

' _Says the one who bought fake artifacts from the internet!'_ Was the overall thought of the group, san Hiro.

" **It's a government cover up! They want to hide the ancient aliens and the secrets of the universe!"**

" **...So tell me again how much you hate the occult?" Makoto asked him.**

" **This isn't the occult! It's about aliens and ancient civilizations living together!" Hiro argued. "Yeah, that's possible!"**

"...And Makoto's the stupid one?!" Hina exclaimed in disbelief.

"Hiro's conversations is torture on my brain." Junko groaned, rubbing her head. "How can anybody be _this_ stupid?" ' _It's not even fun picking on him if he's that dumb.'_

"I assume his mother or father dropped him as a baby more than a few times." Celeste sighed.

"They must've been hard fucking falls." Mondo huffed.

Hiro slumped at the verbal beatings he's being given. "Did I mention that all of you guys suck?"

"More than once, man." Leon remarked dryly.

' _ **I don't think there's anything I could say to change his mind…'**_ **Makoto sighed.**

"Good. Leave this useless and idiotic conversation. Now." Byakuya said firmly. "I hope this is the last conversation with this fool."

"My intuition tells me that it won't be." Sayaka mused.

Makoto sighed, hoping that it won't be _that_ conversation. He would rather not remember what Hiro had attempted to do to him.

 **The scene switched to Makoto walking in the first floor hallway before spotting Kyoko. "Hey Kyoko," Makoto said, getting beside her.**

 **Kyoko inclined her head to him. "What's the matter?" She asked him. "Don't you have anything to do?"**

" **Not really." The luckster replied with a shrug. "Just would like to talk to you a bit, is all."**

 **Kyoko shrugged in response. "There's no reason to decline. And I'm not the type to decline, anyway." When she spoke again, it was a whisper to herself. "Besides… I find myself more and more intrigue by someone like you."**

That got the group's attention.

"Now, what is this?" Leon said, a grin on her face. "Is the Ultimate Detective gaining a crush on our lucky student?"

"Seems likely." Mondo remarked with a smirk. "And I think I see her blushing a bit."

Makoto couldn't help but share some of the embarrassment as he was sitting right next to her, but Kyoko, in her usual demeanor, replied completely unfazed to the nature of the jabs: "You're probably just seeing things. And besides, my future self is probably just intrigued by his trusting nature and optimistic outlook."

While that was partially true, Kyoko knows that there are some feelings developing under that interest. And from the piercing looks she's feeling from all angles, her 'rivals' certainly feel the same.

 **Luckily for her, Makoto didn't hear that last part. "So, I've been wondering…" He started out. "How do you stay so calm?"**

" **...Calm?" She looked at him with a perplexed expression.**

" **I mean, you never lose your cool. You never show emotion…" The luckster explained.**

" **You say that like I'm some kind of inhuman beast." She remarked with a raised eyebrow.**

" **N-No, I didn't mean it like that." He quickly reassured her.**

"You seem too enjoy teasing Makoto a bit too much…" Celeste commented on.

"As if you're any different." Kyoko replied back. That caused the gambler to giggle softly.

"True."

" **Well, I am human. I do have emotions." Kyoko continued. "I simply keep it to myself. I don't show it in my face or in my voice."**

" **You make that sound way easier than it is. Especially in these kinds of situations…" Makoto pointed out.**

" **Well, you should consider trying." She suggested. "Your naive honesty makes you an easy target."**

"And you seem that you like to point out Makoto's honest nature." Byakuya spoke up. "While what your saying isn't false, what caused you to bring it up?"

"You can call it a friendly warning." Kyoko answered easily.

' _ **She keeps saying things like that. It's kind of irritating…'**_ **Makoto thought in slight annoyance.** ' _ **Isn't there anything I can say to get a reaction out of her…?'**_

"That's something I would like to know too." Junko remarked. Then she began pouting in her cutesy persona. "It will be no fun when Halloween comes around."

"No argument there." Leon snorted. "We might even have to keep her from going in any scaring competitions."

" **Protect against deception, and never allow others to read your emotion." The lavender haired girl continued. "And whoever stands before you, don't let them push you around. Remember that."**

" **And that's why you hide your own feelings?" Makoto inquired. "But… but that's such a - a waste!"**

" **...Hmm?" Kyoko raised an eyebrow at this.**

" **Your smile is just so cute!"**

That sudden curveball from left-field froze the entire room. The contrast of such a pure and innocent remark and that of a serious detective had knocked everyone's brain-activity out cold. Makoto's face quickly flushed red at his own embarrassment while Kyoko quickly but subtly hid her own pink dusted cheeks.

Hina was the first to react. "W-What did Makoto just say?!"

"Her smile is… cute?!" Sayaka repeated, shock and jealousy in her tone.

"O-Out of the blue..." Leon said, completely shocked at what Makoto managed to say.

"T-To Kyoko no less... he's truly got balls." Mondo blurted out.

" **Hiding it behind a mask is such a waste! A bright smile is way better!" The luckster stated.**

This time, almost everyone had recovered their senses. Like a wake of vultures feeding on a meal, everyone immediately turned onto Makoto.

"Well, what do you know? First Sayaka, now Kyoko?" Leon remarked. "You becoming such a lady's man Makoto."

"Hooh, this must be the harem route that every doujin should have!" Hifumi squealed.

"You definitely got guts to call Kyoko cute." Mondo added.

Hiro let out a laugh. "Who knew our little luckster is a playboy?" Chihiro merely giggled while Sakura smiled in amusement.

Four of the girls, however, didn't act so calmly to this. Hina and Mukuro held deep frowns while Celeste and Sayaka gave out dark auras, the latter tightening her grip on Makoto's arm.

Kyoko, after gaining back control of her emotions, send Makoto a smile in amusement. The luckster, ignoring his blush and the discomfort in his arms, give a sheepish smile in response.

 **That seemingly took Kyoko by surprise a bit, a blush forming on her face. "W-What are you talking about…?" She stuttered out. "C-Cute? It's much too soon to be bringing up… things like that…!"**

 **That got a smile out of Makoto. "Ah, looks like I got you to show a hint of emotion, didn't I?"**

Kyoko's reaction, along with Makoto's response to it, caught the others by surprise. "So Makoto was just trying to get a reaction out of her…" Byakuya stated. "And Kyoko fell for it?"

"So it would seem." Sakura agreed.

Leon whistled in amazement. "Wow. You did a good job there, Makoto."

"A-Actually…" Makoto spoke up, looking embarrassed. "I didn't really succeed. Continue watching."

While everyone was too caught up with the surprises, no one noticed the huge smug grin that was plastered on Kyoko's face.

" **...What?" Kyoko's eyes widen in shock. "You… Makoto, you…! Y-You deceived me?!"**

' _ **Huh?'**_ **Makoto was taken aback by her response.** ' _ **Wait…'**_

" **I don't believe this…! To use the word 'cute' to deceive someone…!" She exclaimed in horror. "That's just… too cruel!"**

Kyoko's reaction also caught the other by surprise. But a few manage to connect the dots quickly. "I see." Mukuro was the one to voice it out, while also removing her scowl. "So Makoto tried to trick a reaction out of Kyoko, and she used that to trick him."

"I believe this is a case of 'return to sender'?" Chihiro thought.

"Yep." Makoto confirmed, rubbing his head sheepishly. "In hindsight, I should've known that it wouldn't have been that easy."

"No kidding." Junko snorted in amusement.

Hina, Sayaka, and Celeste also settled down, with the pop idol loosening her grip on Makoto's arm.

" **S-Sorry! I just got carried away!" Makoto hastily apologized to her. "B-But still… I did deceive you, but… it's not like it was a total lie!"**

" **...You see how easily you yourself is deceived?"**

" **...Huh?" The luckster blinked in bewilderment, noticing that Kyoko has her ironclad mask back on.**

" **You would never just come out and call someone cute like that. Completely out of character." Kyoko pointed out. "You thought I wouldn't pick up on such an obvious ploy?"**

" **What? You mean…" Makoto's eyes widen at this.** ' _ **I thought I'd tricked you, but I was the one getting tricked…?'**_

" **Watch yourself, Makoto. You're honest to a fault." With that, the lavender haired girl left the area.**

"Truer words have never been spoken." Byakuya stated, getting nods of agreement from several others. "He couldn't tell a lie, even if he tried."

"Hey!" Makoto exclaimed, pouting. "I kept Chihiro's secret for a long time, didn't I?"

 **Makoto merely stood where was, silent.** ' _ **The most formidable opponent…'**_ **He declared with respect.**

 **The next scene showed Makoto walking down the hallway. However, he stopped when he saw Hina leaning on the wall, moaning. "Ahhh… so hungry…" She whined. When she saw Makoto in front of her, she grabbed the luckster by the shoulder. "Makoto, help me… I'm huuuunnngrryyy…!"**

"Oh boy." Sayaka sighed, though she has a smile on her face. "There's goes bottomless pit Hina…"

"Hey!" Hina protested, pouting. "I'm not a bottomless pit!"

"You could match Owari in a food eating contest if you want to…" Leon pointed out dryly, getting a blush, as well as a deeper pout, from the swimmer.

" **What am I supposed to do…?" Makoto asked in alarm, holding his hands up.**

" **I need food… anything…" Hina moaned. "I don't care if it's a stack of paper… need foooood…!"**

" **Why don't you just eat some more donuts?"**

" **I can't! That's my secret weapon! For emergencies only!" She whined, shaking the luckster. "If I kept gorging on something with that many calories, I'd get fat in no time!"**

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "So you do know restraint. For a while, I didn't think you knew that it existed."

"Of course I do!" Hina exclaimed. "I would've been way fat otherwise!"

"Possibly, if we don't consider the monstrous amount of exercise you do." Celeste pointed out blankly.

' _ **So even she cares about that kind of thing.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **Well, she is an athlete…'**_

"Taking care of one's body is something you need to do," Taka stated, nodding to himself. "Especially athletes."

" **Besides, I don't want anything sugary." Hina said, calming down and letting go of Makoto. "Right now I want a salty snack…"**

" **Like potato chips?" The luckster suggested.**

" **Like ramen." The swimmer answered.**

That earned some sighs and facepalms. "How is that a snack, Hina?" Sayaka asked her. "That's a small lunch, at least."

"The girl has a bottomless stomach. So ramen would be a snack for her." Celeste stated, drawing an angry pout and blush from the swimmer.

" **How is that a snack…?" Makoto asked in befuddlement.**

" **Huh?" Hina looked at him in confusion. "How is it not? Speaking of which… what's your favorite kind of ramen?"**

" **Shoyu, without a doubt." The luckster answered immediately.**

" **Ah, good choice!" Hina said in approval. "Definitely the most refreshing option."**

" **What about you, Hina?" Makoto inquired. "You're worried about calories and all, so…"**

" **I'm a porktastic tonkotsu girl through and through!"**

" **Or you don't care about calories…" Makoto finished blankly.**

 **Hina continued on, as if she didn't hear Makoto. "The key element of any tonkotsu ramen is the butter and the extra fat!"**

"And I take back my words about restraint…" Byakuya sighed. "You're lucky that you're an exercise nut."

"Well, the amount of exercise she does probably goes hand to hand with her appetite." Mukuro pointed out.

"Maybe she has high metabolism as well." Chihiro added.

" **So you're okay with all that oil…?" Makoto inquired.**

 **Once again, the luckster was ignored. "Ugh, talking about it just made me even hungrier!" Hina groaned. "Maybe it's time… maybe I can make it… to the dining hall…"**

" **Are you sure? I mean, a bowl of ramen has way more calories than a donut." Makoto pointed out.**

 **This time, Hina reacted to his words. "Who says stuff like that?!" She demanded, getting up close to him. "Are you a real man or aren't ya?!" She then jabbed her finger at his chest. "What, are you afraid? Afraid of ramen?!"**

"Or he's not ignorant on how fattening a tonkotsu is." Celeste remarked dryly. "Unlike you."

"You all just need to toughen up!"

"How does eating ramen equal courage?" Chihiro asked in confusion.

" **You're pathetic, Makoto! I'm ashamed to know you!"**

" **A-Are you still Hina…?" Makoto asked in slight fear.**

" **Shut up!" Was the girl's response. "Get outta my way! I'm gonna show you what a real man looks like! Or are you gonna stand in my way and suffer the fist-based consequences?"**

"You always seem to be threatening somebody whenever you're getting hungry and in the middle of talking." Junko noted. "Not even Sakura is safe from your wrath."

The swimmer blushed and rubbed her head sheepishly at this. "Hey, I get over-excited."

"Understatement of the year." Leon said with an eye roll.

" **No… I have no intention of getting in your way…" With that said, Makoto moved away from Hina's path.**

" **Then don't! If I don't do this now, when am I ever gonna get another chance…?!" Without waiting for a response, Hina cried out like a starving mad woman and ran to the dining hall.**

" **When it comes to food, Hina is… terrifying." Makoto said to himself.**

That caused Hina's blush of embarrassment to worsen, especially when the others voiced their agreements on the statement. Is she really that bad?

" **So it would seem." The luckster turned his head to seeing Celeste walking towards him.**

" **Oh. Hey Celeste." Makoto greeted.**

" **Greetings, Makoto." Celeste returned. "While you are here, there's something I would like to ask you." She stopped once she stood right beside him.**

Sayaka and Mukuro narrowed their eyes while Kyoko merely raised an eyebrow. While it was very subtle, they saw that Celeste was enjoying herself by being very close to Makoto.

" **Do you like mahjong?"**

" **Umm… I've never actually played." He answered the gambler.**

" **Is that so?" A disappointed look entered her face. "A pity. I was hoping we might play together."**

" **Are you good at it?"**

" **Good? No, I am not merely good." Celeste answered with confidence. "I once played a game of Russian roulette mahjong and won."**

" **Russian roulette…?"**

"Wait, wait, wait," Leon spoke up, looking confessed. "What do you mean by russian roulette mahjong?"

"How the fuck the does that work?" Mondo asked bluntly. "Don't tell me you did actual russian roulette."

Celeste merely smile at that, which brought some chills down the other's spine. "You know what they say, that five out of six doctors agree that Russian Roulette is a perfectly safe game."

"FOR OBVIOUS REASONS!"

" **It was a truly fierce contest, put on by a half-insane billionaire in the basement of his mansion." Celeste told him. "My opponent was a fierce old man and silver-haired boy who was said to have the devil's own luck." The two began walking towards the dining hall as the story continued. "We played with a modified rule set. I remember well the glass tiles we used…"**

That earned a couple raised eyebrows from the smarter students of the class. They can't really tell how much of it is true and how much of the story she modified. ' _Lying is as natural as breathing for her_ _…'_ Byakuya thought with a sigh.

Makoto thought he heard something familiar there. "A silver-haired boy who has the devil's luck? Say... isn't that-"

"Now now Makoto. Now's not the time for distractions." Celeste lightly chided him, eager to let her other self boast about her victory.

" **And you won…?"**

" **I defeated them both at once." Celeste stated with a smile. "I will never forget the angry, twisted looks on their faces. The crowd that had been invited to watch became positively riotous. Nobody could believe I had won." She giggled at the memory. "That is one of my fonder memories…"**

 **Makoto was silent at this, more than a bit amazed at what he heard.** ' _ **I'm really glad I didn't agree to play mahjong with her…'**_ **He thought to himself.**

"I'm surprised the gambling community didn't ban you from these games…" Chihiro murmured, though it was loud enough for Celeste to hear.

"I've learned how to look as if I can lose, to make sure none would be too intimidated to face me." Celeste revealed. "At least, those dumb enough or arrogant enough would be captured by the bait."

More than a couple of the students either frowned, looked away, or put on a sheepish mask at the statement. Yeah, they all learned by now not to play any game with the Ultimate Gambler.

 **The next scene was Makoto in his room, the school announcement playing once again.** ' _ **Nighttime already…'**_ **Makoto let out a yawn.** ' _ **I guess I'll go to bed for today. Pretty tired after the everything that happened, especially this morning.'**_ **With that, he got onto the bed.**

 **The TV quickly transition to the dining hall, with Makoto, Sakura, Hina, Hifumi, Hiro, and Celeste at the main table. "Taka and Kyoko are not here today…" The gambler of the group noted.**

" **Kyoko's still on guard duty, probably." Hiro guessed.**

" **I have no idea about Taka…" Sakura stated.**

"Should we be worried?" Chihiro asked, a bit concern. Mondo also looked a bit tense.

"Not right now." Kyoko reassured them. "There's no hint that anything happened so far. And it isn't the first time some of us didn't arrive in the dining hall."

" **May as well just forget about that guy!" Hifumi growled.**

The others jumped a bit at Hifumi's angry statement. "Guessing he didn't forget about his love rival." Hiro sighed.

"Of course I didn't forget!" The fanfic creator cried out in response. "And I will not rest until he is bowing down in defeat!"

"W-Will he just shut up?" Toko grumbled.

" **You don't have to get so mad…" Hina said, a bit startled.**

" **They're rivals in love. What're ya gonna do…?" Hiro reminded Hina.**

" **Don't put me on the same level as that… that… virgin!" Hifumi exclaimed. "I might catch his virginity!"**

"'Catch his virginity'?" Leon repeated blankly, turning to the fanfic creator. "Newsflash, dude. You already caught it."

"No, that's not how it works." Mondo sighed.

"And how is that an insult?" Taka questioned, confused. "Aren't all of us virgins to begin with?"

"Point to the moral compass there." Junko said in response.

" **Nah, my guess is you're already infected…" Hiro sighed.**

" **Wait, can you really catch it?!" Hina gasped in shock.**

Facepalms ensues. "Seriously?" Toko groaned. "How d-dumb are you?"

"Hey! It's a legitimate concern!" Hina tried to argue. "I don't want to catch any diseases!"

"Virginity is something we've all been with, simpleton." Byakuya bluntly stated. "Stop taking words so seriously."

"Soo... is anyone here not a virgin?" Hiro asked, only to be met with fifteen piercing glares and complete silence.

" **Stop being vulgar." Celeste spoke in. "Let's eat breakfast."**

 **As Makoto about to reach his food, a familiar laughter entered the room. "Huh?" Hina's head shot up at the sound. "That voice…"**

The familiar laugh caused several of them to groan while Toko stiffen. "Oh great, she's back again…" Mondo sighed.

 **Suddenly, the dining hall door burst open, with Genocide Jill rushing in, cackling madly.**

Once again, Toko shrieked in terror and curled into a ball. This time, it drew the attention of the others. "Is she going to keep doing that every time Jill appears?" Hiro asked.

"She'll probably get use to her appearance after a couple more showings." Mukuro guessed. She will have too.

" **So it's you, Genocide Jack." Sakura said. "And…"**

 **Right beside the serial killer was Byakuya. "Don't bother asking why we arrived at the same time." He said before anyone could ask. "The answer should be obvious."**

"Great…" Mondo growled. "He's back again."

"And it was so nice not having the asshole on the TV." Leon sighed. The affluent progeny chose to ignore the complaints.

" **I'll give you a hint…" A lecherous grin entered Jill's face. "I'm wearing red lingerie today!"**

That caused some of the guys, such as Chihiro and Makoto, to blush, while several of the others have disturbed looks. Toko, meanwhile, look incredibly embarrassed. "W-Why did she reveal s-something like t-that?" The writer stuttered out.

"And what the hell does that got to do with why the two arrived at the same time?" Leon questioned.

Hifumi answered that. "Perhaps Miss Jill and Mr. Togami got in the room together, and…"

"Finish that thought and I will make sure your body will never be found, not even for vultures to pick off." Byakuya threatened. The fanfic creator quickly shut up at that.

" **Umm… I don't think anyone wanted to know…" Hina said, looking creeped out.**

 **The serial killer turned to Hina in response. "Hold on a second! You…!"**

" **H-Huh…?!"**

" **What's your top power level, 35-22-33?! You start out big on top to try and look thinner down south!" Jill exclaimed shamelessly. "Look at your melons! They're seriously gargantuan! Do you dunk'em in milk every night or something?!"**

Once again, the swimmer blushed heavily before curling up and covering her chest. "W-Why does she always have to mention them?!"

"Jill likes to make all of us feel uncomfortable." Kyoko tapped her chin in thought. "And it may have to do with a bit of jealousy…"

"Still, that doesn't justify her harassing Hina!" Sakura stated fiercely, looking angry once more.

 **Hina scooted back from her chair, covering her chest. "Y-You're starting to freak me out…!"**

 **Sakura glared fiercely at Jill. "If you lay a finger on Hina… I will show you no mercy!" She growled.**

Toko shivered, a chill entering her spine. She REALLY hopes Jill won't push Sakura's buttons.

" **So? What do you want?" Celeste asked Byakuya, getting back on track. "Surely you are not here to join us for breakfast."** (That earned several snorts from the group.)

" **Of course not." The heir confirmed. "I came to hear a story."**

" **A story…?" Makoto said in confusion.**

" **A story that nobody bothered to tell me yet." Byakuya clarified.**

That caused the group to tense up once more. "Is he talking about…" Hiro trailed off nervously.

"I think so." Mukuro confirmed the unasked question. And depending on Byakuya's true goal, this might turn out badly.

 **That caused the group to tense up.** ' _ **Are you talking about… Alter Ego?'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.**

" **Sorry, but we can't talk about that right now." Sakura told him.**

" **Why not?" The heir questioned.**

" **Because of certain… circumstances." The martial artist subtly glanced at the camera at that.**

" **Up till now you haven't given a crap about anything, and now you're all concerned?" Hiro asked with obvious doubt. "I don't buy it."**

 **That caused Byakuya to glare at the fortune teller. "I've just made a decision. When we get out of here, I'm going to feed your body to the vultures."**

 **That caused Hiro to yelp and jump back. "What kind of messed up dictator are you?!" He exclaimed.**

"Yeah, seriously!" Hiro agreed, looking as scared as his counterpart. "You shouldn't do that to anybody who just disagrees with you!"

"And why not?" Was the heir's response. "It seems like the perfect punishment for fools like you."

"I'm really worried about the future now…" Hina replied with a sweatdrop.

" **But isn't this a democracy? Or would you exclude those who don't fit into your tyrannical majority?" Byakuya retorted.**

" **Th-That's not what we're doing…" Makoto protested.**

" **Well, whatever." The blonde said dismissively. "If nothing else, tell me what's going on with Taka. When I saw him yesterday, I happened to notice something seemed… off. So I was curious."**

" **Taka has become utterly useless." Was Celeste's ruthless statement.**

"Celeste!"

"Damn, that's cold!"

"The fuck you say to my bro?!"

Celeste's mask didn't even budge an inch when faces turned towards her. "Well, you can't really deny the statement." The gambler replied. "As he is right now, he's in his own little world."

"But you don't have sound so cold about it!" Makoto protested.

" **Celeste!" Makoto exclaimed in shock. "You don't have to say it like that!"**

" **Did his spirit collapse or something? Was he unable to withstand this environment?" Byakuya inquired. "Those men who clothe themselves in the cheap fabric of justice are often the first to fall…"**

That earned a growl from Mondo. Togami is lucky that he can't attack him right now, otherwise, he would've fucked him up by now!

 **A smirk entered his face. "But perhaps that will make things all the more interesting…"**

" **Interesting…?" Makoto repeated in confusion.**

" **Let me leave you with a bit of advice." The heir directed his attention back to everyone. "Don't come to rely on false camaraderie… or you'll reap its bitter reward."**

And, predictably, his words angered several people. "Is he asking for someone to kill him?" Leon asked in anger and disbelief. "Cause who would go out of there way to say shit like that?"

"Yeah! He should know that none of us would ever accept that so called 'advice'!" Hina growled.

"Those with no allies are doomed to fail." Sakura said with a sigh. "You should heed that in the future, Byakuya." The blonde heir ignored the words of his classmates, having nothing to say in his future self's defense.

 **His words earned several frowns. "That's why you came? To give us that amazing 'advice'?" Hina voiced out in anger.**

" **It seems I am unwelcome here." Byakuya noted, unperturbed. "Then I will grant your desire and remove myself…"**

" **Yeah, let's get outta here!" Jill quickly agreed.**

" **...You don't need to come with me." The heir told the serial killer.**

" **You don't have to play hard to get, Master!" Jill reassured him, smiling brightly. "You can just play hard!"**

" **That doesn't make any sense…" Slowly, Byakuya back out of the room before picking up speed and began sprinting out of the dining hall.**

" **He ran away…?" Jill questioned, tilting her head. "So now he's running hard to get… I see!" With a maniacal laugh, she ran after him. "Wait, wait, wait!" And with that, Jill was gone.**

Several of the students couldn't help but burst out laughing at the entire thing. "Man, it's fun seeing Byakuya like that!" Leon wheezed out in laughter. While it was weird at first, it became entertainment for the group after a while.

"Serves him right for everything he's been saying and doing!" Hina giggled out, trying her best not to end up on the floor.

"No fucking argument there!" Mondo snickered out. "The asshole had it coming, that's for damn sure!"

Byakuya, meanwhile, looked very annoyed at all this. "If I could, I would execute all of you right now." The heir said with gritted teeth.

"Y-Yeah! T-This is no time for l-laughing!" Toko cried out, looking extremely worried. "G-Genocide J-J-Jack is after master!"

"And we are loving it." Junko sang.

 **The group was silent, not knowing what to say about the string of events. "S-So at the end there…" Hina hesitantly spoke up. "What was that all about?"**

" **Just now, Byakuya was like…" Hiro trailed off, looking baffled.**

" **Maybe he's like the mean guy who starts acting different or getting all flustered when things change!" Hifumi suggested.**

" **...Guess so." Hiro decided to go with it.**

That caused the group to laugh louder. "Yep, that would describe Byakuya." Celeste said as she giggled.

"Definitely panic when things go his way!" Sayaka stated vindictively.

Kyoko, Mukuro, and Sakura held smirks of amusement while Makoto and Chihiro smiled sympathetically at the affluent progeny. He chose to ignore the increased laughter, focusing on the screen. They were very lucky he could not send them to their doom at this moment.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And hopefully, most, if not all the drama I'm dealing with, is gone or going away. And said drama didn't affect the chapter in any shape or form. Next chapter will be another round of free time events before getting fully back into the plot. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier End of Chapter random topics: Oh boy, got a long one this time considering how long its been :D**

 **Since the last chapter, I think I cried a lot over the animes and a light novel I have found myself. I finished Code Geass Lelouch despite hating almost everything about it. It's a really good anime, but I just can't agree with any of the characters or the overall philosophy and themes behind the show. But even still, it moved me to tears at the end of season 2 so I can't say I didn't enjoy it.**

 **Now, Saekano and Love and Lies definitely sent my life into hell for a couple weeks. My personal schedule is full with work, hobbies, and school every day, but I definitely did not schedule a "feels rollercoaster" anywhere and I definitely didn't have room for it. But watching Saekano then reading the rest of the LN, followed by watching Love and Lies (Koi to Uso) was, while not the smartest decision I've made all year, definitely not regrettable. They both apparently have some mixed feelings towards them, but I can vouch that they're both great if you haven't watched them.**

 **And now, for a slightly more serious note:**

 **I don't know if I've made this segment before, but honestly, I have a huge amount of respect to any author who does these massive 20+ Chapter stories, especially original ones (even if I don't end up reading them). I don't know how busy people find that much time to put into them, and committing to it is definitely a daunting task. I'm not even going to mention the planning and the thought that goes into them since it's only going to make my head hurt but what I do know, is that I'll probably never find it in myself to start something that big (although, the thought has crossed my mind multiple times). Anyways, what I want to say is, I'm with you to the end Spirit, at least, the end of this story :D**


	51. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 9

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. This chapter will be mainly be free times. Sorry if there's some of you want to get to the plot already, but I can't ignore the events. Especially since they're filled with funny character interactions, foreshadowing, and character development. Though I tried compressing as much as possible. Still, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Here's the next chapter! Its full of lies, philosophy and more bonding moments so enjoy yet another light hearted chapter! Not many questions this time so it's going to be a short section.**

 **Questions:**

 **Q: Spirit, who do you ship in each of the Danganronpa games?  
L: Interesting, I never asked Spirit this myself so I'm intrigued as well :D Anyways, no one asked but, I'm definitely a Mukuro fan for DR1, a Mahiru fan for DR2, and Kirumi fan for V3... *cries in corner*  
S: For the pairings in general, they're Makoto/Kyoko in DR1, Sonia/Gundham in DR2, and Shuichi/Kaede in V3. For what girls I liked paired with the main character, it's Hina in DR1, a tie between Mahiru and Mikan in DR2, and Kaede in V3.**

 **Q: Isn't it unfair for the girls to punish Makoto for something he** **technically** **didn't even do?** **  
** **L: I'll leave it up to your imagination for what the punishment was but man, don't underestimate a girl's anger man. And it's quite a question isn't it? Can you be punished for something your future self in a parallel world did? Should you be? I don't know but it's more amusing this way :P (at least to me)  
S: Yeah, it's probably unfair. Funny, but unfair. But most of the girls (And most of the class in general) are lead by emotion rather than logic, so they wouldn't really think of it as unfair.**

Chapter 50: Watching Ch 50: NGL! STGH! Part 9

" **Hello, Makoto." Celeste greeted the moment she noticed Makoto enter the dining hall. "I must say, I am quite troubled…"**

" **Huh?" That got Makoto attention. "How come?"**

" **I would like you to teach me something." The gambler requested.**

" **What…?"**

" **I want you to teach me how to play shogi." She stated.**

That earned a couple of raised eyebrows. "You don't know how to play shogi?" Byakuya questioned. "That is very odd. I thought you knew every game involving the life of gambling."

"Are there no gambling circuits involving shogi?" Sayaka inquired curiously.

In response, Celeste shook her head. "No, there are certainly circuits like that." Celeste confirmed. "Which is why I desire to learn."

" **Oh, uh…" Makoto scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry, I don't know how to play, either."**

" **I see…" Celeste huffed in disappointment. "You really are useless, are you?"**

"You really don't hold back on your words huh." Leon deadpanned.

"And besides, Makoto isn't useless!" Hina argued. "Sure, he isn't the smartest… or the strongest… or have that big of a talent…"

"That's exactly what she's saying!" Junko chirped as Makoto head dropped in depression. Hina winced sheepishly at this.

"But he is able to prove himself reliable, with or without an official talent." Kyoko interjected, to spare Makoto from further verbal punches. "He was also the most helpful in the last two class trials."

Makoto could only smile in embarrassment as Kyoko's counterpoint swiftly ended the topic.

" **Uh, okay… but I'm surprised you don't know how to play." Makoto said. "Is it because there's no, like, shogi gambling circuits?"**

" **Oh, there most certainly are." Celeste answered.**

 **That surprised Makoto a bit. "What, really?"**

" **But it is all underground." The gambler continued. "It is rather shady, all things considered. I have tried my own hand at it, naturally."**

"Wait, hang on a moment…" Leon interjected. "Didn't you just say you wanted to learn how to play?"

"I did." The gambler confirmed.

"And yet you entered a shogi tournament without knowing how to play the game?" Hiro continued for Leon blankly. If even Hiro can raise this point, it goes to say how appalling the idea was.

"It's why I want to learn now." Celeste answered. "So I won't go in blindly again."

" **Wait, even though you don't how to play?" Makoto asked, his surprise growing. The two are now walking out of the dining hall, after putting away their dishes.**

" **That is why I wish to learn now." Celeste stated. "I placed my pieces without even thinking. What on Earth was I doing…?"**

" **And you still tried to win an underground shogi tournament?"**

" **Tried?" Celeste shook her head. "Oh, no. I did win."**

"What?!" Was the overall reaction of the group. Mondo spoke for all of them. "The fuck do you mean you won?!"

"How could you win when you didn't know how to play?!" Byakuya questioned in disbelief.

"Who knows?" Celeste said with a shrug. "Perhaps it was beginner's luck?"

"I'm pretty sure beginner's luck doesn't work that way…" Taka pointed out.

"I can definitely agree with that..." Makoto agreed.

" **You won?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock.**

" **I didn't really understand, but apparently my final opponent was infamously powerful." Celeste told him. "She was… rather odd... like a voluptuous woman who dressed as an exotic french maid."**

"Like you're one to talk about being odd." Leon said blankly. "All you wear is gothic clothing."

"True." Celeste admitted. "But it was more of her personality that was odd."

" **But… how did you win?" Makoto asked, getting back on topic.**

" **Beginner's luck, perhaps?" Was her innocent suggestion.**

" **I don't think beginner's luck work in shogi…" Makoto deadpanned.**

"See? Makoto agrees with me."

"I also agree as well." Byakuya remarked, frowning. "Shogi isn't the type of game you can win with luck alone."

"You should know by now not to underestimate my luck." Celeste stated, smiling. "A certain amount of good or bad luck can go either way."

 **Celeste merely giggled at that. "Is that so?"**

' _ **Yep. The more I learn about Celeste, the less I understand her…'**_ **Makoto thought blankly.**

"Are we even sure it's beginner luck?" Mukuro pointed out. "She could be lying again."

The group was silent at that. "...You may have a point." Makoto admitted. Sometimes, it's hard to tell when the gambler is lying or not.

Celeste gave a small pout. "Do you have to doubt me that much?"

"Yes." Was the blank, simultaneous answer of everyone else.

 **As the two walked out of the dining hall, Celeste let out another giggle. "Look how quickly we have become close friends, Makoto."**

' _ **Have we…?'**_ **Makoto thought with confusion and wariness.**

" **So let me share with you something…" The gambler continued. "I will tell you about the biggest crisis I ever faced in my gambling life."**

That caught the group's attention. "You had a what now?" Leon questioned in surprise.

"A gambling crisis?" Sayaka repeated and sharing Leon's shock. "I though the term didn't even apply to you!"

"But of course." Celeste sighed. "Even I end up unlucky sometimes."

"So what exactly happened?" Sakura inquired, curious.

"You shall see."

Makoto, however, silently groaned, knowing what exactly the "crisis" was.

' _ **Biggest…? You had a gambling crisis?'**_ **Makoto thought in shock.** ' _ **What happened…?'**_

" **A shadowy organization was hosting a mysterious tournament…" Celeste began the story. "The game in which I participated was called King of Liars."**

" **King of Liars…?"**

" **It was quite a severe game. When you enter, they strip you of all your assets. Money, property, everything." The gambler stated. "You must use your wisdom, cunning, and luck to battle through challenge after challenge. For the final match, I had to face off with an odd duo… they called themselves the Honest Woman and the Liar Genius."**

A few felt chills were sent up everyone's spines. "Wow, that sounds really scary," Hina said, wrapping her arms around herself. "I couldn't imagine entering something like that."

"Me neither." Sayaka said with a shake of her head. "I can't believe you entered into that Celeste."

"Assuming that it isn't another of her lies." Byakuya remarked. "This sounds far too fictional to be true."

"Well, you know what they say. Reality is stranger than fiction." Celeste shot back without missing a beat.

 **Makoto felt a slight chill go up his spine. "Wow, they sound pretty scary…"**

" **Oh, that part is not important." Celeste dismissed. "But during a break, I was careless and spilled some tea on my clothes." She began sounding more distressed. "I was terrified that the stain would never come out. That was a very difficult time in my life."**

That caused the whole group to freeze for a moment. "...The fuck did she say just now?" Mondo asked bluntly.

"And there it is…" Makoto sighed, not surprise at the least.

" **...Huh?"**

" **I was forced to win more quickly than I wanted, so that I could rush to the cleaners." Celeste continued. "I was able to get the stain out, but it was perilously close…" She let out a sigh. "If I had waited even another hour, I would have been forced to throw out my favorite dress."**

Now everyone was sporting blank or disbelieving looks. "Are you serious right now?" Byakuya questioned in disbelief "Your 'gambling crisis' is tea being spilled on your dress?"

"That's a clothing crisis, not a gambling crisis!" Junko exclaimed.

"How could you call it a gambling crisis when you won the game?" Chihiro asked in confusion.

"The spill on my dress forced me to win sooner than expected." Celeste argued. "If it weren't for that, I would've spent that time humiliating my opponents."

"I think they got humiliated enough…" Leon deadpanned. The fact that she took her dress as her number one priority over a dangerous gambling tournament must've been insulting to the opponents.

 **Makoto was silent, utterly baffled at what he just heard.** ' _ **That was her 'crisis'? The biggest crisis she ever faced…?'**_ **He thought incredulously.** ' _ **I just… don't even know what to say.'**_

"Don't blame you there, dude." Mondo sighed, facepalming. Seriously, this is almost as stupid as one of Hiro's conversations.

But he didn't dare say that out loud for obvious reasons.

 **The next scene switched to Hifumi and Makoto at the art room. "Hey, Mr. Naegi?" Hifumi called the luckster.**

" **Yeah? What's up?" Makoto asked curiously.**

" **I feel like you're worthy of my trust, you know?" The fanfic creator said. "You're the only one… I can confess too." A serene smile entered his face. "I've reached my limit. I need to get out of here. Right now."**

That calm confession definitely startled some of the students, as well as sent chills up some spines. "What's wrong now?!" Leon exclaimed.

"Y-Yeah! Don't say that with that smile!" Hina agreed with Leon.

" **H-Hey, come on." Makoto quickly said, a chill up his spine. "Don't talk like that when you've got that creepy grin on your face…"**

" **I need to see her." Hifumi groaned in misery. "I need to get a TV. I need to see the real Princess Piggles."**

"That's what you're fucking worried about?!" Mondo questioned in disbelief.

"And weren't you drooling over an AI just a day ago?" Junko pointed out.

"Even I can feel disappointed at your priorities." Mukuro commented.

"That doesn't mean I can no longer adore my favorite princess!" Hifumi responded back fiercely. "Princess Piggles will always be dear to my heart!"

"I can't believe he's serious…" Leon groaned, facepalming.

' _ **What does he mean, 'real'?'**_ **Makoto thought in confusion.** ' _ **She's a cartoon character.'**_

Hifumi froze at that. "Just a cartoon character?" The fanfic creator repeated, as if he just heard something extremely insulting. "What do you mean, 'just a cartoon character'?!" He turned to Makoto with a fierce glare. "She's is not just a simple, common cartoon character! She's-"

He rant was interrupted with yet another baseball to the head. "Continue the damn thing!" Leon shouted to Spirit, who simply shrugged and played the TV once more.

' _ **But now might be a bad time to bring that up…'**_

"No kidding…" Several muttered. They were glad Leon manage to shut Hifumi up before he could start.

" **Listen, don't get so upset. I'm sure you'll see her again really soon!" Makoto tried to reassure the fanfic creator. Then, in hopes of changing his mindset, he said this. "But jeez, Hifumi… you really love that anime, huh?"**

" **Of course. She's my guiding angel. She opened my eyes to life." Hifumi stated. "Before her, I didn't have a single friend. I was just a mild-mannered boy who liked to draw. I hurt everything I touched. I was a model young lad who fell to the Dark Side…"**

" **For example! Sometimes a nicey-nice type girl would come try to talk to me, right?" He brought up. "You know, be nice to the weird, dorky kid. And I'd scream at her, 'You're such a hypocrite!' I'd just yell right at her face and make her cry. Man I loved doing that…"**

That caused several to look at the fanfic creator in disbelief and slight anger. "You yelled at a girl who's nice to you?!" Leon questioned incredulously. "And enjoyed it?!"

Hifumi looked uncomfortable at the looks. "Yeah, so?"

That comment earned three baseballs to the face. "Ow!"

"Mild-mannered my ass!" Mondo exclaimed in anger. At least with him, he didn't try to yell at girls on purpose. "You don't just try to make a girl cry! You don't do that!"

"My bro is right! Upsetting those who are kind to you is unacceptable!" Taka exclaimed in agreement.

"Geez, and I thought Toko got some issues, man…" Hiro sighed, earning a dirty look from the book writer.

"C'mon! That girl was being nice out of pity!" Hifumi argued in defense for himself. "I wasn't about to accept!"

"Whether or not that's true, you shouldn't have rejected that kindness with harsh words." Sakura lectured firmly. "It probably led to you being friendless."

"Much less have a girlfriend…" Junko added in.

' _ **That's awful… he probably traumatized that poor girl!'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.**

"You're siding with them, Mr. Naegi?!"

"Sorry Hifumi, but that was wrong." Makoto said, his voice a bit firm. "You don't even know if she was just pitying you."

Celeste let out a giggle. "Seems like no one is going to defend you on this one, Hifumi."

The fanfic creator merely let out a 'hmph' and crossed his arms childishly, refusing to admit that he was in the wrong.

" **But by total chance, I happened to catch an episode of Demon Angel Pretty Pudgy Princess one day." Hifumi said, getting back to the main subject. "At first, I felt nothing but contempt for it. I thought it was just another magical girl anime. However… after that, she came to me in my dreams."**

" **Your dreams…?" Makoto repeated.**

" **I dreamed that I went on date after lovely date with Princess Piggles." Hifumi said, his usual perverted look entering his eyes. "It was… so much fun. When I woke up and realized it was a dream, I got depressed. But I also realized… I was in love."**

Facepalms, blank looks, and eye rolls ensued. "Wow, dude. Just… wow." Mondo said, shaking his head.

"You think you're in love with a drawing thanks to a dream?" Byakuya questioned with a bit of disbelief. "That's absolutely pathetic."

"Absolutely disgusting" Toko added.

"And didn't your future self say he was in love with Alter Ego?" Hina pointed out.

"My love for Princess Piggles and Alter Ego are different!" Hifumi argued. "For the Princess, it's an admiration type of love! Like a guy loving their favorite idol! For Alter Ego, it's true love! One that will last forever!"

"Or never." Chihiro muttered darkly.

" **I wanted to experience that sensation again, so I started buying all the Princess Piggles stuff I could. Unfortunately, in the show itself, the princess never falls in love. So as much as I wanted to, I never got to see her face filled with love, the way I did in my dream." A depressed look entered his face. "The face she made when she was in love was the cutest thing I've ever seen…"**

" **So, filled to the brim with my overflowing affection for the princess, I decided to draw that face myself!" The fanfic creator stated. "I was consumed with passion, and I finished one Princess Piggles project after another. I was so happy with the results, I decided to put it up on my personal website, just to see what happened." A proud smile entered his lip. "And it was an instant success!"**

"Ah!" Sayaka said in realization. "That's how you got into fanfics, Hifumi?"

"Sure did!" Hifumi stated with a proud nod. "Thanks to my love for Princess Piggles, I evolved, starting from just another writer, to the Ultimate Fanfic Creator!"

"All because of one dream…" Junko remarked. "Well, it could be worse. He probably would've continued screaming at girls that talks to him."

"Yeah, that would be bad…" Makoto replied with a sweatdrop.

" **That was the moment I was reborn as a true fanfic creator!"**

" **So that's why, huh?" Makoto commented on.**

" **I was so happy…" Hifumi continued, smiling. "I had no idea there were other people on the planet who'd felt the same things I had. I can't thank her, I know that! So instead…" Once again, a perverted glint entered his eyes. "I'll ball up all my love and affection, and use it to do incredibly embarrassing things to her!"**

That earned face-faults and facepalms. "That's not how you thank someone Hifumi!" Taka exclaimed, looking offended. "Regardless of whether they're real or not!"

"Be silence, my rival!" Hifumi stated, pointing a finger at the moral compass. "You know nothing of how to express true love! That is why you shall lose the fight for Alter Ego's heart!"

"I'm not into Alter Ego!"

"I won't fall for your tricks, heathen!"

' _Can he just shut up already?'_ Celeste groaned in her head, trying not to snap. Hearing all this geeky stuff is getting on her nerves!

' _ **I think he missed the mark… by a mile.'**_ **Makoto deadpanned.** ' _ **Well, at least I understand him a little better now…'**_

" **She's still developing as a woman, you know! And I can keep developing her in all sorts of ways!" Hifumi said, drooling a little.**

' _ **...And maybe understanding him just a little better is good enough.'**_ **Makoto decided.**

"Agreed." Was the overall statement of most of the students, ignoring the fanfic creator's squawk. Who knows what's going on in that perverted head of his?

 **The next scene switched to Makoto walking around the 3rd floor hall. As he was walking, he spotted Byakuya walking towards him. "Oh, Byakuya." Makoto said in slight surprise. "You manage to get away from Jill?"**

" **Fortunately, yes." Byakuya said with a annoyed sigh. "Unfortunately, it took a lot of my precious time. The damn serial killer was stubborn in her pursuit."**

" **Yeah, I can imagine…" Makoto replied with a sweatdrop.**

Once again, that brought another bout of laughter from the group, causing a tick mark to appear on Byakuya's head. Immature children, all of them…

 **Shaking his head, the heir changed the subject. "Listen, Makoto. I wanted to ask you something."**

' _ **What could Byakuya want to talk to me about?'**_ **Makoto thought warily.**

Byakuya's statement, and Makoto's thought, caused the laughter to stop. "Yeah, what does the asshole want to talk to Makoto about?" Mondo questioned, eyes narrowed.

"How much you want to bet it's something insulting?" Leon remarked.

That earned a snort from Junko. "Nobody's dumb enough to take that sucker's bet."

' _ **I have a bad feeling about this…'**_

Both Sayaka and Hina frowned, while Mukuro slightly furrowed her brows. None of them are eager to hear what Byakuya have to ask Makoto…

 **Despite his feeling, Makoto spoke up. "Oh, umm… sure, what's up?"**

" **You know… only a few chosen, perhaps 1% of us, are able to succeed in life." The heir began. "For the other 99%, their dreams never come true. Some never even have a dream in the first place. Spending every waking hour toiling to scrap together a meager living, just barely getting by… I just don't understand. Is there any meaning to a life like that?"**

Makoto resisted letting out a sigh, especially when he saw the growing looks of anger from several of his friends while Byakuya grew slightly tense. This is going to get ugly, he can tell…

" **Why are you asking me…?"**

" **Because you're part of that 99%, of course." Byakuya answered. "Why did you even feel the need to ask?"**

' _ **I knew he was gonna insult me somehow…'**_ **Makoto mentally groaned.**

" **Up until now, I've never been around anyone like that. So I'm interested…" Byakuya continued. "So tell me, how does it feel to live a life without hope, without potential or ambition or dream?"**

As Sayaka got up to go and slap Byakuya, Makoto quickly grabbed her arm. "Wait Sayaka, don't!"

"He deserves a slap!" Sayaka growled, struggling against Makoto's hold. "That jerk is treating you like you're a slave or a low-wage worker, working only to survive!"

"Damn straight!" Mondo agreed, fury filling his voice. The only reason he's not joining Sayaka cause Taka and Chihiro quickly placed their hands on his arms. "And not only that, he's also implying that most of us are like that!"

"That's the future Byakuya that's saying that!" Makoto argued, keeping a tight hold on Sayaka's arm. "Our Byakuya has changed! He doesn't believe that anymore!"

"As unpleasant as it may be, I must admit that." Byakuya spoke up for himself, ignoring the glares from the others. "Some time after this conversation, he managed to prove to me that you 99% are capable of having a 'satisfied' life. I had not realized you all use a different scale to measure satisfaction."

"How was that possible?" Celeste inquired.

"I'll let you all witness that yourselves."

Sayaka gave the heir one more venomous glare before settling back down on the couch. Makoto sighed in relief, and let go of his idol friend's arm. Was Sayaka always this protective?

" **C-Come on!" Makoto protested fiercely. "I don't have ambition, or dreams? I've never felt that way about myself! I mean, sure, maybe I'll never be as rich as you or anything, but… do you have to go around saying that to everyone? Can you only be happy by being better than others?"**

" **Your complaints are as old and repetitive as a third-rate pop song from any generation…" Was the heir's mocking response. "And yet, those are the words of the 99%. That is how you find comfort in your tiny, cold little world."**

"Can I whack him upside the head? Just once?" Leon asked, clenching his fist tightly in anger. "I don't care if this is the future Byakuya saying that, I want to punch him right in the face!"

"D-Don't threaten my master!" Toko hissed at him, glaring at the baseball star. The entire hostility got her nerves up and running. "He's more wise than you!"

"I don't want to hear that from his obsessive fan girl!"

"O-Obsessive? Why you-"

"Enough. There's no point arguing." Kyoko interrupted. "Let just continue on." Leon and Toko glared at one another before moving their eyes away from each other.

" **S-Stop saying stuff like that!"**

" **Sorry, I can't not speak the truth." Byakuya denied. "No matter how much you push and struggle, people like you will never be in a position to change the world."**

Taka had to hold back a growl that was coming up his throat. This is worst than the last time Makoto spoke to him! Is there no end to Byakuya's arrogance?! What makes him think that normal people aren't in a position to change the world?!

' _How is someone this arrogant?'_ Mukuro thought, annoyance and slight anger creeping up her chest. Not even some of the few cocky soldiers in Fenrir was this bad.

" **You could all disappear tomorrow, and nothing would change. Your existence is of no consequence."**

 **Makoto couldn't help but scowl at this. "Whether that's true or not, it doesn't matter." He argued. "Even if you live a totally normal, unimportant life, you can still find happiness in that. If I can live a life that I'm satisfied with, that's all that matters. If I spent, all my time comparing my life to other people's, I'd never be happy."**

His small speech brought cheers to the group. "Yeah, you tell him Makoto!" Hina exclaimed happily. "Show him that we're not robots!"

"Damn straight! We don't have to be goddamn rich to be happy!" Mondo remarked with a grin.

"Yet another moving speech, Makoto!" Taka stated, tears forming in his eyes. "No matter what life you have, if it brings you happiness, and as long as it doesn't hurt others, that's all that matter!"

" **Sure, maybe you can do that. You were guaranteed success from the day you were born, so-"**

" **Hold it!" Byakuya interrupted sharply. "From the day I was born? You have no idea…" A angry scowl entered his face. "You don't have a clue what you're talking about!"**

Byakuya's anger startled the group. "Did… Makoto hit a nerve there?" Hiro asked.

"It would appear so." Celeste agreed, looking slightly surprise. "My, my, looks like even Byakuya have sore spots."

Makoto couldn't help but wince at this, rubbing his head sheepishly. While he couldn't have known the process of becoming the heir of the Togami Empire, he still feel a bit guilty about making that assumption.

 **Makoto was taken aback at Byakuya's expression. "What…?"**

" **Those who are 'chosen' from birth have no concept of what that truly means." Byakuya hissed. "I have gone to battle and emerged victorious. That is why I am the chosen."**

" **W-What are you talking about…?"**

"I'm wondering the same thing to," Hina said, looking at Byakuya with confusion and wariness. "I mean, weren't you born heir to your family?"

"Of course not." Byakuya hissed, scowling. "Like my future self said, I went into battle and earned my position as the Togami heir."

"W-What do you mean? What battle?" Chihiro asked hesitantly.

Byakuya merely let out a 'tsk' in response. "As if I would willingly tell any of you ignorant fools." Though he have a feeling at some point, it would be revealed on screen. However, that doesn't mean he had to say anything now.

" **You're spoiled, all of you. Running away into a world of self-indulgence." Byakuya said, venom in his voice. "Battle, competition, rivalry - you run away from it all. That is why the 99% walk the path they do." The heir began walking away from Makoto. "Good god, your absolute lack of understanding makes me want to weep."**

For once, nobody got angry at the insults Byakuya spat out. They were shocked at how much emotion the heir was showing. "Damn, I didn't know Byakuya could get that angry." Leon said in surprise.

"Neither did I." Kyoko looked at the heir with a raised eyebrow. "So it does seem like you do have a basis as to why you hold these beliefs."

"Of course. The philosophies of this world aren't simply formed from nothing." Byakuya scoffed.

Taka couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows. How else did Byakuya become the Ultimate Affluent Progeny without being born into the position? What did he mean by battle?

 **Makoto could only stare at his retreating back in shock. "What the heck got into him?" He wondered to himself.** ' _ **He was acting totally normal, until… until I said something about being guaranteed success from the day he was born…'**_ **He furrowed his eyebrows. "I wonder why that set him off…"**

"Indeed. Anything that could set Mr. Togami off is an interesting topic to go into." Hifumi stated, adjusting his glasses. "And if I remember correctly, he also got angry when Taka called geniuses lazy sods."

"Yeah, definitely an interesting story there." Junko remarked, looking at the heir. She's _very_ interested on his history now.

 **The scene switched to Makoto and Kyoko walking with one another in the hallway. The two of them were silent for a moment, before Kyoko chose to speak up. "Can we finish this already?"**

" **Huh?" Makoto looked at her in confusion. "Finish…?"**

Immediately, the group had a guess as to what she means. "There goes the ice queen…" Leon joked, drawing a look from said 'ice queen'.

" **If we truly want to trust each other, we must truly know each other." Kyoko repeated his words from before. "That's what you believe, isn't it?"**

" **Well… yeah, but…"**

" **I understand why you feel that way, but… when it comes to me, I think you should probably give up." Kyoko stated bluntly.**

" **What?" Makoto's eyes widen at this before stopping and turning towards the lavender haired girl. "Why?!"**

" **Because I don't have anything to talk to you about." Was her simple answer.**

Celeste raised an eyebrow at this. "Is this your trust issues speaking, or is it due to your lost memories?"

"A mixture of both, probably." Kyoko answered.

" **Does that mean… you don't trust me?" Makoto asked, sounding hurt.**

 **Kyoko looked away, silent at first. After a moment, she spoke. "If you get too involved with someone, you're apt to lose any sense of good judgement." She then look back at the luckster. "I learned that lesson myself all too well. Personal experience is a ruthless teacher."**

" **Personal experience…?"**

 **Kyoko held up one of her hands. "Surely by now you've noticed I always wear these gloves," She pointed out. "Simply put, there was a time when I grew attached to someone, and I made a bad decision. I was forced to learn a very powerful lesson, and these gloves are a daily reminder of that."**

Makoto smiled a little to himself. While he still doesn't know the full story yet, Kyoko had told him some things. The fact she told him _anything_ about her gloves and the story behind them makes him feel honoured.

" **So on these gloves, I swore to never make the same mistake again."**

"So something happened that caused her not to get close to others?" Hina questioned, frowning. "I can't imagine what that could be…"

"Though it seems that attitude did change some, Kyoko." Taka pointed out. "You seem to be more relaxed around us now."

"Especially Makoto." Leon added with a smirk.

Kyoko didn't rise to the bait, though it didn't stop the warmth of her feelings rushing to her cheeks. "Well, some of you are just extremely relentless when it comes to friendship." She gave a pointed look to Makoto and Hina, the former gaining a sheepish look while the latter merely grinned.

" **S-Sorry, but… I'm not sure I completely understand." Makoto said honestly. "Can you tell me more about it? Maybe then I could…"**

" **I'm sorry, but I can't." Kyoko denied softly. "That's the end of it."**

' _ **The end…'**_ **Makoto looked down in sadness.** ' _ **So then, I never got to learn anything about her, about how she feels.'**_

The sight of a sad looking Makoto gave several of the girls the urge to embrace him like a hurt puppy. "I can't believe you were able deny a face like that." Sayaka said towards Kyoko. "You really have to be an Ice Queen to do that."

"Yeah." Hina agreed with a nod.

Kyoko merely crossed her arms and looked away, forcing herself to not be provoked. She didn't realize she was this difficult to talk to in the past, and admitting that would definitely be an embarrassment that she would rather not experience.

 **The two were silent for a moment. Then, Kyoko spoke up. "Anyway, don't get too depressed over all this." She told him. "The reason I'm not willing to talk about it isn't because I don't trust you. In fact, I do have faith in you. Which is why I decided to tell you what I have. I want you to understand why I can't tell you."**

"That's pretty soft of you, Kyoko." Junko commented on. A mischievous smile entered her lip. "Did the sad puppy eyes Makoto sported affect you?"

The detective didn't move an inch from her posture, though as her internal embarrassment threatened to flush her cheeks, she couldn't rebuke it either.

" **I can't show you myself, just like I can't show you what's beneath these gloves." She held up her gloves once again. "I can't remember the last person who saw what was beneath my gloves."**

" **That long…?"**

" **That's right." Kyoko nodded. "And I can't imagine a point where I would show them ever again. Only someone I could call family would be worthy."**

" **Family…?"**

" **Are you going to volunteer?" The lavender haired girl asked softly.**

That got some teasing sounds from his male friends, with the luckster blushing. "So, are you going to propose Makoto?" Leon asked with a grin. "And if so, when's the wedding?"

"Make sure all of us gets invitations, dude." Hiro joined in the teasing.

Makoto ducked his head down in embarrassment, not noticing the dark frowns on four certain female students. "C'mon, guys!" Makoto whined. "Kyoko is teasing me!"

"And how do you know that?" Byakuya inquired.

Makoto blushed further. "Because… she did that to me some time ago…"

That got some laughter from his friends while Kyoko gave him a smug smirk.

The other girls could only internally pout as Kyoko earned the spotlight to herself again.

 **Makoto's eyes widen at this. "Huh?!" A blush quickly spread on his cheek.**

" **Got you again…" Kyoko teased. A small chuckle escaped her mouth. "You really are foolishly open." A small, soft, sincere smile entered her lips as she laughed.**

 **Makoto slumped at this.** ' _ **She did get me again. And laughed at me again. But…'**_ **Makoto looked at the chuckling girl.** ' _ **I've never really heard her laugh out loud like that. I think that must be her natural laugh.'**_

"Yeah. Still weird to see her laugh sometimes." Leon remarked. "Like, she didn't even crack a smile the first month at Hope's Peak."

"However, thanks to Mr. Naegi maxed persuasion skill, he's able to melt through Miss Kirigiri's cold heart." Hifumi declared, drawing a look from the detective.

Chihiro let out a tiny giggle. "And it's nice, seeing her laugh sometimes."

"Yeah, it is." Hina agreed with a bright smile. Especially since it's so rare to see her like that.

' _ **It is, right? That's wasn't fake.'**_ **Makoto smiled.** ' _ **So maybe in the end… she did show me some part of herself. Maybe she showed me her true feelings…'**_

"And the bond between the detective and luckster student grows deeper…" Junko declared dramatically. "Seriously, even in a killing game, the two of you seem to have a special bond."

"I guess we fit well together, despite any situation." Kyoko stated, discreetly giving a small smirk to the other girls, especially Sayaka.

The blue-haired idol gritted her teeth at that. Oh, she's using this chance to rub it in!

 **Kyoko spoke up once again. "I know I always tell you to be careful and protect yourself, but…" Her voice then got softer. "To be honest, I hope you don't change. I prefer you this way." She smiled at him. "This is… you."**

The group could see the closeness between the two. They can tell, despite the few times they saw the future Makoto and Kyoko with each other, that they were growing incredibly close.

The present Makoto and Kyoko looked at one another before smiling, the luckster giving a bashful smile while the detective had a smaller one. It really does seem like they're growing close as they are now, despite the situation.

Sayaka, meanwhile, frowned to herself. While she doesn't doubt that she's close to Makoto, closer than the most of the class, Kyoko was equally close. Maybe even closer, after what they witnessed in chapter one. It made the detective a serious contender for her luckster's heart.

Mukuro also frowned, feeling envious of the bond Kyoko shares with Makoto. She wished she could be that close with him. But that seems to be a distant dream, especially with the knowledge he now possesses.

 **The luckster couldn't help but blush at this, but smiled.** ' _ **In the end, I never did really figure her out.'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **But at least I got a little bit closer…'**_

' _I'd say it's more than a little bit.'_ Kyoko thought to herself. While her future self is aloof, mainly due to her memory loss, she can tell the future self is starting to grow fond of Makoto just as she now is.

Hina pouted to herself, while Celeste twirled her hair around her finger in contempt. Like Mukuro, they wished they could be as close with Makoto as Kyoko was. And like Sayaka, they know that Kyoko is the biggest contender out of the five of them.

Shaking out of her jealous thoughts, a new thought crossed Hina's head. "We've been seeing more of these talks, haven't we?"

"We have." Mukuro confirmed with a nod. "The numbers have definitely increased since chapter two."

"Is it going to increase with each chapter?" Sakura questioned.

"I doubt it." Byakuya answered, shaking his head. "If it would, this viewing would be longer than necessary. Plus, its only natural since there are fewer and fewer people to talk to."

"That's a bleak way of seeing things…" Hiro said with a sweat-dropped.

"But one filled with the facts. We cannot escape that outcome."

"Well, let's just enjoy while it last…" Chihiro suggested, shifting a little. "I'm not really looking forward to seeing anymore of my classmates…" While he didn't finish his sentence, the unsaid words were clear.

That got a few gloomy looks. Yeah, most of them aren't looking forward to that.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Next chapter will be, yet again, another round of free time. Hopefully the last chapter with the events before getting into the meat of chapter three. The plot, the murders, and the trial. So be patient please. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier's Post Chapter random talks: Since the last update, I went back and looked at some of the animes I watched, and decided to read their written originals or counterparts just for fun. One of the series that really got me again, was ReLife. Man, if I could watch the anime and cry, then go back and read the manga and cry again, it means its really good (at least for me). Also, against my better judgement, I decided to go ahead and read the Goblin Slayer manga. Boy, the first chapter of it was definitely worse than the anime but overall, it wasn't so bad. I actually even started to like it after a bit (although, while I understand it's part of the goblin's behaviour, I'm still not too much of a fan of the repeating nudity/sexual content). So, if any of you were put off but that "initial shock", it really isn't that bad so go have a look!**

 **Also, in response to Justsomeguy, I would tell you to play the game regardless. Watching it on youtube is very different than experiencing it at your own pace and it makes you feel more involved with the characters. I won't stop you, but since you bought the game already, I thought I'd share my opinion about visual novels in general :P**

 **Anyways, till next time! :)**


	52. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 10

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, this will be free time events once again. The last chapter filled with events before getting back to the main story. Hope you enjoy the reactions to these certain events.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Next Chapter is up! I'm excited to get these FTEs out of the way and start going back to the main story next chapter so look forward to that!**

Chapter 51: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 10

 **The next scene was Makoto entering one of the classrooms at the third floor, where Genocide Jill is residing. "Oh, hey Mahkyutie!"**

The sight of the serial killer caused Toko to yelp and curl up in fear yet again, while some of the others tensed up a little.

"Mahkyutie?" Hiro asked, confused. "I thought she nicknamed you Big Mac last time."

"You know Jill has the tendency to change up her nicknames for us." Taka reminded him.

' _ **Mahkyutie?'**_ **Makoto thought in confusion.** ' _ **Is that me…?'**_

" **Hey, listen to me, okay?" The serial killer requested, getting close to the luckster. "Something's building up, ya know?! Mainly stress…!" And once again, she pulled her infamous scissors out. "It cuz I haven't gotten to kill anyone lately! So it's building up! It's packed in there tight!"**

Her words, along with how close she is too Makoto, made the group more than a bit nervous. "Is she thinking about killing Mr. Naegi?" Hifumi questioned nervously.

"I think she's just complaining to him…" Taka replied, though unsure himself.

Mukuro was tensed, looking at Toko cautiously. Jill better not be targeting Makoto. Else she will have to deal with her.

" **..." Makoto was silent at first, not sure what to say at that. After a moment, he hesitantly spoke up. "So… why do you…?"**

" **Yes?" Jill asked, tilting her head.**

" **Why do you… kill people?" Makoto asked nervously. "You should really stop. I mean, it's just meaningless bloodshed, isn't it?"**

Several students shot the luckster incredulous looks, not believing what he asked and requested. "Are you seriously asking for the reason of why she's killing people?" Byakuya asked him in disbelief. "And not only that, but to request a serial killer, who had already killed hundreds, to stop it?"

"Um, yes?" Makoto replied meekly. "Who knows? Maybe I could've stopped more deaths from happening."

"I still can't tell if you're courageous or stupid." Byakuya groaned. "Or both."

"Probably the latter." Junko chimed in.

"Definitely a ballsy move there, dude." Mondo spoke up. "Seriously, who in their right mind would confront a serial killer about their killing?"

"Who indeed." Kyoko pondered as she casted a sideways glance at Makoto.

 **Jill frowned at that. "Meaningless…?" She then exploded. "I know that, stupid! I don't kill because it has meaning!"**

"At least she admits it." Leon muttered. Unlike most serial killers out there.

" **Then… why…?" Makoto asked, trying to comprehend it.**

" **Let me ask YOU something, Mr. Smartypants!" The killer responded back. "Why does a soccer player kick stuff?! Why does a bookstore manager sell books?! You'd never ask them, right? It's exactly the same with me!"**

Once again, the room was filled with an air of disbelief. "Is she really comparing normal, regular day stuff with killing hundreds of people?!" Hina exclaimed incredulously. "Those things aren't the same at all!"

"I know her views are odd, considering she's a serial killer, but still…" Taka groaned, holding his head. Her words never fail to bring them all headaches.

" **Th-That's not the same at all!" Makoto protested. "It's totally different!"**

" **Hmm…" Jill looked at the luckster with interest. "You got balls, trying to lecture the mighty morphin' murderous fiend…"**

"To the point I sometimes wonder if his self preservation instincts are working." Junko remarked, looking at the luckster.

Makoto's face turned red from embarrassment. "Hey! I assure you they are working fine!"

"Your tendency get yourself in the middle of danger says otherwise." Byakuya remarked dryly, causing Makoto to become even more embarrassed as he couldn't deny it.

"He's right. You do have a horrible track record." Hiro added.

"I don't want to hear that from you.." Makoto grumbled.

" **Well, here's my response." The murderous fiend then grinned wildly. "It's easier to kill than to try not to!" She then ended that with her usual round of laughter.**

' _ **I don't know why I even bothered trying to understand Jack…'**_ **Makoto deadpanned to himself.**

"No kidding…" Leon sighed, looking at his friend blankly. "At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if you manage to befriend an assassin."

Once again, Makoto turned red from not being able to refute it. "I'm not that bad, am I?"

"Yes, you are." Was the simultaneous answer of the entire group.

 **The serial killer continued laughing until, suddenly, she sneezed. The sneeze caused her to revert back to Toko. "H-Huh?"**

The sight of Jack reverting back to her future self caused Toko to relax a bit, although she was still jittery.

" **Oh, hey Toko." Makoto greeted awkwardly. "Um, are you okay?"**

" **Y-Yeah…" The writer stuttered, looking away. The two stood there in awkward silence for several beats.**

' _ **I thought Toko totally hated me…'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **But it's not like she's going out of her way to avoid me. Still… we're not actually talking, either.'**_ **Hesitantly, he spoke up. "H-Hey, Toko…?"**

" **Wh-What?" Toko spoke, looking kinda eager. "You have a question? You have a question f-for your classmate…?!"**

 **Makoto was slightly surprised by this.** ' _ **Huh? Is she… happy?'**_

The group noticed her eagerness as well. "Wow, you're looking pretty eager." Leon remarked. "More so than the last time you talked to Makoto."

"You must really want some friends." Hiro added, drawing an embarrassed glare from the writer.

"D-Don't act l-like you weren't as f-friendless as I am!"

"Hey! That's not true!" Hiro protested. "I've… got a few friends!"

"Oh, r-really?" Toko asked with obvious doubt. "T-Tell us their n-names, then."

"Um… well…" Hiro looked away at that. "They… are shamans who gave up their names, so I can't really tell now!"

Celeste snorted. "You need to come up with better lies. That's an absolutely pathetic one." The fortune teller slumped at that.

' _I would normally be concerned that telling Hiro his lies are bad would actually encourage him to come up with more convincing lies but... since it's Hiro, I think I'll keep this to myself...'_ Makoto thought.

 **Shaking his head, he continued with his question. "So, I kinda asked before, but what do you like to do in your spare time?"**

" **I just write." Toko answered bluntly. "I'm serialized, so I'm a-always really busy! And when I'm not writing, I'm s-studying. I'm not an idiot l-like you…!"**

"Seriously, Toko?" Hina spoke up, mouth agape. "Did you have to insult him like that?"

Toko flushed and looked away. "S-Sorry…"

"Seriously, it's like bitterness comes out of your mouth every time you speak." Hiro sighed, drawing a glare from the writer.

 **Her eyes then widen before groaning in frustration. "Agh, d-dammit…! I had to go and open my b-big mouth again. You must hate me for s-sure now, right?"**

" **No, it didn't really bother me…" Makoto reassured the girl. "But anyways… how do you get your ideas for what you write? Is it like, real-life experience, or…?"**

That got several snorts from the group. "Yeah. Real life experience." Leon said dryly. "That as believable as Hiro being a ladies man."

"Hey!"

Toko scowled at the baseball player. "L-Like you're a-any better, skirt chaser."

"At least I'm not chasing after someone like Byakuya."

"W-Why you-"

"Guys, can we please not argue?" Makoto pleaded. The two Ultimates huffed and look away from each other, but complied with Makoto's request.

 **That triggered Toko. "Are you stupid?!"**

" **What…?" Makoto was taken by surprised at the outburst.**

" **I t-told you, didn't I? I write romance novels…!" Toko reminded him. "How could I use m-my real life experience for that…?!"**

"Yeah, that would probably make for a really bad romance novel…" Hiro pointed out. "Or a depressing one…"

"Kinda make me shiver just thinking about it…" Hina shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

Makoto sweatdropped at this. Maybe Toko should wait a while before publishing her latest work…

" **It's all my from my i-imagination! It's just delusion!" She exclaimed. "Delusions let you fall in l-love as much as you want, even if you n-never do in real life! Or are you s-saying you can't write romance unless you already have lots of experience i-in love…?"**

" **N-No, not at all…" Makoto denied, holding his arms up.**

" **It's okay. I'm used to p-people making fun of me…" Toko stated, looking away. "B-But… someday, I'll show them! I'll get pretty s-someday and show them all…!" As she said that, she stormed out of the classroom.**

" **This time I'm sure she hates me…" Makoto groaned.**

"Does she run away after every talk you guys have?" Junko asked, amused.

"Not every talk." Makoto protested. ' _...But most of them, yes.'_ He then admitted to himself. It still baffles him at him how he was able to become friends with Toko.

 **As he went out of the classroom, he was greeted by somebody in the hallway. "Makoto!" He turned to see Hiro jogging towards him.**

This got a lot of groans. "I wish your intuitions weren't so accurate, Sayaka." Hina whined. "I don't want to see anymore of Hiro's conversations."

"Seriously, what's wrong with talking to me?!"

"Everything." Celeste stated with a straight face that was accompanied by several agreeing expressions by those around her.

" **Hey Hiro," Makoto greeted, slightly wary.**

" **So," The fortune teller began, after stopping a few feet away from Makoto. "You ready for me to tell your fortune?!"**

" **I told you, I'm done with that!"**

"Stop offering those damn fortunes already!" Mondo exclaimed in annoyance. "Once was fucking enough!"

"And no one sensible enough is willing to pay for your ludicrous price!" Byakuya stated firmly.

"Not even I would sell my best works for anywhere near that price!" Hifumi cried.

"Will you guys stop dissing my fortunes?" Hiro whined.

"How about a no?" Junko suggested innocently.

" **C'mon, don't be like that!" Hiro pleaded. "This one's on me! Free of charge! No money down!"**

That got the group's attention. "...What is he planning?" Hina asked suspiciously.

"What makes you think I'm planning something?!"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you don't give free fortunes so willingly." Leon pointed out. "Not unless you want some sort of favor."

The others were also staring at Hiro with some suspicion. Makoto, however, had a bad feeling as to what exactly this conversation is going to be about.

' _Oh no… please don't tell me it's what I think is…'_ The luckster thought with dread.

 **Makoto narrowed his eyes at this.** ' _ **That just makes me even more suspicious…'**_

"You too, Makoto?!"

The luckster looked away at this. "Sorry Hiro, but to be fair, you never really inspired trust." He admitted, trying to ignore Hiro hanging his head. Not even he can deny that.

" **I'll be waiting for you in my room! Meet me as soon as you can!" With that, Hiro began walking out of the hallway and to the stairs.**

' _ **I'm super skeptical… but I can't just ignore him.'**_ **Letting out a sigh, he began going to the direction of the dorms. "I guess I'd better just go and get this over with…"**

"I would just leave the fool hanging." Byakuya scoffed. "Why even bother hearing his fortune? Or listen to anything he says?"

"Well, I kinda figured that he'll just keep pestering me until I say yes…" Makoto replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't think he would leave me alone if I just ignore him…"

"A fair point," Celeste sighed. "You can't ignore a pesky bug if it continues to fly around you face."

"Don't call me a bug!"

' _ **But I'll have to be on my guard. This could be another one of his traps…'**_ **He continued thinking to himself.** ' _ **Considering how he's been up till now, there's no way I can believe he'd do anything for free.'**_

"Which makes me more concerned about the third motive." Sakura admitted. "Though I can't say for sure Hiro would do anything for money…"

"Y-Yeah, that's true." Chihiro agreed. "Hiro may have questionable morals, but he isn't completely bad."

Makoto kept his eyes away from everyone, actually knowing how far Hiro will go. And if this is what he think this is, they'll know too…

 **The next scene switched to Makoto entering Hiro's room, which contained several fortune telling items. "Yo, Makoto! Welcome!" Hiro greeted happily.**

" **Th-Thanks…" Makoto greeted back warily.**

" **Listen, before we get to the reading, I have a little favor to ask…"**

The suspicious looks grew. "What are you planning to ask Makoto?" Sayaka asked, narrowing her eyes at the fortune teller.

Hiro sweated a little at the idol's glare. "I-I"m sure it's nothing…"

 **Before Hiro could finish, Makoto interrupted. "I knew it!" Right after the shout, the luckster began walking out. "Forget it, I'm out of here! I was right to be skeptical-!"**

" **No man! I'm super serious this time!" Hiro pleaded, quickly blocking Makoto's path. "Er- I mean, I really am serious! I want to talk to you about a problem I'm having…"**

" **A problem?" Makoto looked less suspicious and ready to leave at that.**

" **I listen to everyone else's problems all day, right? But who do I have to talk, to?" Hiro began. "Friends? Nope. I mean I literally have zero friends…"**

' _ **Jeez…'**_ **Makoto thought in slight surprise.** ' _ **I figured he didn't have many friends, but none at all…?'**_

"Yeah, I agree," Chihiro said, also looking a bit surprised. "I would've think Hiro must've had at least one friend."

"Even I had a couple friends in Fenrir." Mukuro commented.

"You're assuming that there are people out there who have enough patience to deal with that idiot." Celeste remarked dryly. "Makoto is one of a kind."

"No argument there." Mondo snorted, with several others nodding. Makoto blushed at that, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

" **This is the first time I've felt like there was someone I could talk to, could share my problems with." Hiro told him.**

 **Makoto looked shocked at that. "H-Hiro…" After hearing his words, the luckster let himself relax. "Okay. If you don't mind telling me, I don't mind listening."**

A couple of the students felt their suspicions go away some. "Is Mr. Hagakure gonna show some actual character development?" Hifumi murmured. "It would be amazing to witness."

"No kidding," Hina agreed with a nod. "It's starting to look like he's not going to be saying something dumb."

"Don't get your hopes up…" Byakuya murmured. This probably is setting them up for disappointment.

" **Thank…!" The fortune teller said gratefully. "So, you remember I told you how I got held back a few times, right?"**

" **Y-Yeah, you mentioned that." Makoto nodded.**

" **Well, there's kind of a serious reason for that." Hiro told him.**

Makoto bit back a long groan at this. So it really is THAT conversation…

"Wait, so it isn't just because you wasted all your money on those artifacts?" Taka questioned. "What else could've possibly stopped you from having your education?"

Hiro looked away at this. "U-Um…"

"I'm guessing you know, Makoto?" Kyoko asked, noticing the look on the luckster's face.

Makoto ducked his head down at this. "Y-Yeah… you'll see…" Kyoko braced herself for the truth as it looked pretty grim.

" **There is…?"**

" **Someone's after me." The fortune teller revealed.**

That definitely caught the group by surprise.

"What?!"

"S-Someone's after you?!"

"Who the fuck is it?"

"What did you do, Hiro?!"

The fortune teller squawked indignantly at the last question. "Hey! Don't put the blame on me!" Why does everyone think he did something?!

 **Makoto's eyes widen at this. "Someone's after you? Who?! What did you do?!"**

" **No, I - what makes you think I did anything? I just got dragged into it." Hiro claimed.**

"I very much doubt you got dragged into it." Byakuya said dryly. "Most likely, you've con'ed the wrong person."

As if to confirm that suspicion, Hiro clammed up after that remark.

" **I had an appointment come in, the daughter of some rich upper management type guy." Hiro looked away when he said the next part. "Maaaybe I pressured her a little to pull out her entire life savings…" He let out a sheepish chuckle. "Well, when her dad found out, he went apepoop, and it turned into a whole legal thing…"**

"..." Several of the students have deadpan or baffled looks on their faces, any concern on their faces completely washed away. In all honestly, they really shouldn't expect any sort of depth from Hiro, but still…

"And I was right…" Byakuya sighed, pinching the bridge of nose to stop the incoming headache. "Your stupidity and greed never ceases to amaze me."

"How was I supposed to know that was going to happen?!"

"You shouldn't have cheated the girl out of her money!" Taka scolded. "That is completely unacceptable!"

 **The concerned look on Makoto's was quickly replaced with a baffled stare. "And it turns out, this Mr. Richie Rich guy just so happened to have ties to the mob." Hiro groaned. "So then I had these super scary gangsters coming after me…!"**

"You gotta be shitting me…" Mondo groaned, facepalming. "Which fucking gang did you piss off so badly…?"

Hiro gulped as he remembered the scary yakuzas. "I-I think they were called the Kuzuryuu clan…?"

"THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY RIGHT NOW?!" Mondo shouted, his head shooting right back up with wide eyes.

Celeste also looked shock. "You managed to anger the most powerful yakuza in the country?!"

The others also looked very shocked and panic at this. "Dude…" Leon whispered, stunned. "How the hell are you still breathing, and not six feet under?"

"Especially with the heir of the Kuzuryuu clan in Hope's Peak." Sayaka added.

Hiro shivered at the mention of the Ultimate Yakuza. "I-I had to hide from the for a couple of years. It's another reason why I was held back for three years… and being in Hope's Peak keeps me from being gutted."

" **And you tried to run?" Makoto's word was more of a statement than a question.**

" **Yeah. But they caught up to me, of course." Hiro confirmed. "They tried to force me to pay them… well, more than I could afford. So I snuck my way into Hope's Peak…"**

" **The instant I leave this school, they're gonna come for my guts!" He then exclaimed, getting into a panic. "Black market organs are in huge demand! But I love my organs! I don't wanna give 'em to someone else!" He then got onto knees in a begging posture. "So, here's the deal. Sell me some of your organs on the cheap, and I can resell 'em at the marketplace!"**

"WHAT?!" Sayaka shouted, looking extremely furious. "What did you just ask?!"

"You want to sell Makoto's organs?!" Hina exclaimed, looking aghast and angry.

Kyoko turned to the luckster himself, who have his head buried in his hands. "Did he really ask you to do that?"

Makoto could only nod. "Y-Yeah."

The others also has varying looks of shock, anger, and disgust. "The fuck is wrong with you?!" Mondo exclaimed.

"How could you ask that of Makoto?" Sakura asked in disgust.

Mukuro merely gave him a murderous look, resisting the urge to kill Hiro right here and now.

Hiro shrank under the looks and glares being given to him. "I-I was desperate!"

"Understatement of the year." Leon scoffed. "Way too desperate."

 **Makoto could only be silent, just staring at Hiro blankly. "Just one! That's all I need!" Hiro continued pleading. The luckster continued staying silent. "Okay, fine! Sell me your identity! Those are pretty valuable these days!"**

"Do you have no shame, Hiro?!" Taka shouted, giving a furious glare towards the fortune teller. "How could even think about asking something so immoral to your friend?!"

"Not to mention illegal." Kyoko said, giving Hiro a cold glare.

Meanwhile, Mukuro suddenly realized something. ' _Wait… so when Makoto was cornered by those yakuzas, Hiro tried to…'_ This explained everything.

 **Again, Makoto was silent, making Hiro groan in frustration. "You're so selfish!"**

"HE'S the selfish one?!" Hina exclaimed, mouth agape. "You're the one asking him to sell his organs and identity!"

"Why can't you just give the money back?" Chihiro pointed out. "That would solve the problem."

Hiro looked away. "I… can't…"

It clicked several minds. "You used that money on those so called 'OOParts, didn't you?" Celeste deadpanned.

Hiro's eyes widen in shock. "H-How did you know?!"

His statement was met with several groans and growls of frustration. "Just when I think I have seen the height of his stupidity…" Byakuya muttered under his breath.

" **Be honest, you used that money to buy those artifacts of yours, didn't you?" Makoto finally spoke, his voice blank.**

 **Hiro yelped in shock at this. "H-How'd you know?!"**

"It can't be that obvious, right?!"

"Yes, it is that obvious." Junko confirmed blankly. "Anyone with a quarter of a brain can figure it out after the last conversation."

"So maybe, instead of trying to sell Makoto's organ or identity, how about you sell those damned artifacts?" Sayaka growled. The urge to strangle Hiro has grown more and more with each meeting. "Those things aren't even real!"

"They are real! You guys are just in denial! Or jealous!"

Sayaka was about to rip his head off when Makoto grabbed her arms. "Don't bother. He's not gonna change his mind." The luckster deadpanned. "Trust me. I tried."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that." Byakuya remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"Even I know when to give up." The luckster stated. Plus, there was the other fact the others don't know yet…

" **I remember you mentioning how expensive that stuff was. What else could it be?" Makoto pointed out.**

" **Wait!" Hiro suddenly took a step back from Makoto. "Y-You're not suggesting I sell my OOParts, are you?!"**

" **Why not? That makes the most sense, doesn't it?" The luckster rhetorically asked. "If you can't bear to do it yourself, I'll help you!"**

" **No! No, no, no!" Hiro denied vehemently. "No freakin' way! That collection is all I have in life! How could you even suggest such a terrible thing! You're a cruel man, Makoto Naegi!"**

"Says the dude willing to ask for somebody's organ to save his own skin!" Leon retorted in frustration. "Seriously dude, get your priorities straight!"

"It is straight!" Hiro claimed. "I can't just sell my OOParts!"

"You can if you want to keep from being six feet under!" Mondo told him. "The Kuzuryuu clan aren't people to fuck with!

"I know! And if I can sell an organ in the black market, I can make enough money to be scotch free!"

"So you're willing to sell anyone's organs, even a friend," Sakura spoke, disgust in her tone. "Not only to save yourself, but to keep these artifacts?"

"You're even worse than some of the villains I come up with!" Hifumi cried out.

Hiro gulped, deciding to be silent is the best thing right now. He then went pale, remember the next part of this conversation…

" **You can call it terrible, but-"**

 **But Hiro didn't want to hear it. "That's enough! Forget I ever asked!" He interrupted. "No matter what it takes, I'm gonna get out of here! Even if it means demolishing my life savings!"**

THAT caused everyone to freeze, as they slowly processed the clairvoyant's words. "What… what did you just say…" Sayaka hissed, her features darkening.

"You have life savings…?" Kyoko questioned, her features turning even more icy.

 **Makoto's eyes widen at this. "Wait, you have life savings?!"**

" **Tch. So now you know." Hiro groaned. "I figured if I sold your organs, I wouldn't have to dip into my retirement funds…"**

 **That actually angered Makoto. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"**

" **What?!" Hiro look offended at Makoto's anger. "Okay, I've had it! If you're not gonna give me your organs OR your identity, you can just get out!"**

" **Gladly!" Makoto then left Hiro's room, all too glad to go.**

"..." Even though there wasn't a single word said, Hiro could feel the oppressive air in the room, unspoken words of disgust being said about him thanks to his future self's words. Makoto didn't say anything, having already experienced all of that and more. While he had long came to terms and forgave Hiro for the entire mess, it didn't mean he was going to say a single word in the fortune teller's defense.

"H-Hey! Come one! Don't give those looks!" Hiro pleaded. "I worked hard to earn all that money! Is it really wrong that I didn't want to blow it all off on that stupid debt?!"

"Yasuhiro… I can now say with certainty that you are a disgusting and abhorrent individual." Sakura declared with obvious disgust.

Desperate, he turned to Byakuya. "Byakuya, help me out here! You know what I'm talking about, right?!"

"...Hiro, even as someone who values their money above most people, what your future self asked of Naegi was absolutely disgusting." The heir stated.

"And that's not the worst of it." Everyone turned to Mukuro, who has an absolutely murderous glare aimed at Hiro. "Earlier this year, Yasuhiro had tried to follow through on this. Tricked Makoto into meeting up with members of the Kuzuryuu clan and threw him to the dogs once they did. Isn't that correct, Makoto?"

Makoto nodded, knowing that Mukuro figured already. "If it wasn't Mukuro that day, I would probably be dead in a ditch somewhere." He isn't even gonna bother trying to defend Hiro's position. Normally, he would be optimistic and forgiving, but this future watching reminded how awful what Hiro tried to do him was and how lucky he was to get out of with little to no scratches.

In response, the guys, Toko, and Sakura have varying looks of shock and disgust, while Makoto's admirers gave the sweating and panicking fortune teller glares so intense, he swore they were heating up his skin.

"...Just when I think you can't get any worse, you somehow manage to find a way to lower the bar even further." Kyoko hissed coldly.

During all this, Junko had brought her hands up to her mouth, mainly to hide the ear-splitting grin that was growing on her face. ' _He's sooo lucky he's not indebted to me!'_ She thought to herself as she just imagined over 50 different scenarios on how to torture him.

 **As he walked away from Hiro's room, he thought about the conversation.** ' _ **Well, in the end, I think I'm better off having talked to him about… all of this.'**_ **He mentally sighed.** ' _ **If nothing else, I got to know him a lot better. I learned to never let my guard down around him…'**_

"How did you manage to fall for his tricks in the first place?" Celeste questioned, her glare never leaving Hiro.

Makoto rubbed his head sheepishly. "I didn't think he would resort to tricking me like that…" While he was suspicious, it wasn't really in his nature to abandon his friends, even if he thought that they're leading him into some sort of trap. "Again, thanks for saving me back then, Mukuro."

"You don't have to thank me. I would have done it again, if needed." Mukuro responded back before glaring at Hiro once again. And if Hiro tries something like that again, he _will_ regret it.

Unknown to her, her four rivals were in the same mindset.

 **His thoughts were stopped when a voice called out to him. "Makoto," The luckster turned to see Sakura walking towards him. "Are you alright?"**

" **Yeah… kinda." Makoto sighed. He shook his head and wave off the concern. "It's nothing to worry about. Is there something you need, Sakura?"**

 **The martial was silent for a moment. After a moment, she asked this, "Have you decided?"**

 **The luckster tilted his head at that. "Decided what…?"**

" **Decided not to laugh at my story." Sakura cleared up.**

That got the group's attention, momentarily forgetting their anger at Hiro. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that conversation." Leon remarked. "Still no idea what could cause us to laugh."

"Looks like we're about to see." Mondo remarked. Sakura, meanwhile, tensed up, nervous on the group's reaction.

" **Oh, you're talking about Kenshiro?" Makoto asked, remembering the last conversation they had. "I mean… I honestly don't know what there is to laugh at…"**

" **Then join me in my room, and I will continue my story." Sakura offered. "Just the two of us…"**

' _ **Just the two of us, in her room?'**_ **Makoto thought in confusion. As he thought that, Sakura dragged Makoto into her room.**

"The two of you are going into a room by yourselves…?" A perverted glint entered Hifumi's eyes. "Are planning something Miss Oog-" A baseball hit his face before he could finish. "Ouch!"

"Dude, just stop." Leon said flatly. It was honestly for the Hifumi's sake more than simply stopping his obscenities. Who knows what Sakura or Hina would do if Hifumi finished that question?

 **The next scene switched to Makoto and Sakura in the latter's room, which is filled with several martial arts equipment.** ' _ **Yep… this is pretty much exactly how I would've imagined it.'**_ **The luckster thought to himself.**

"You know, I'm starting to see a lot of snarky thoughts from Makoto…" Leon noted. "Especially dealing with people like Hifumi and Hiro."

"His 'snarkiness' definitely came into full force with the last conversation with Mr. Hagakure…" Hifumi stated.

"Um, can we please not bring that up?" Hiro gulped, feeling the glares being sent on him.

' _ **But hanging out in a girl's room, just us… gettin' kinda nervous!'**_ **He continued.** ' _ **And it being Sakura makes me nervous for a whole other reason…'**_

"Oh?" Sayaka gave Makoto a teasing grin. "What kinda thoughts are running around in your head?"

"Um- I just- well…" Makoto turned beet red at this, especially when giggling entered his ears. "I'm sorry, Sakura!"

"Don't worry, it's fine Makoto." Sakura assured him, slight amusement in her tone. "I can see how a guy and a girl being in a room together could lead to those thoughts."

" **Is there a reason you're glancing around?" Sakura asked him.**

" **Oh, s-sorry!" Makoto stuttered, stopping his look around the room.**

" **Anyway, I shall continue my story…"**

" **Oh yeah." Makoto paid full attention to that. "The one and only Kenshiro…"**

" **That's right." Sakura nodded. "My lifelong rival. And… my…" Taking a deep breath, she said the next word. "My first love."**

That caught several in the group by surprise. "Say whaaaaaa?!" Hifumi gasped in shock. "First love?!"

"You're saying this Kenshiro guy is your boyfriend?" Leon asked, taken by surprise.

Sakura nodded, a small tint of pink entering her face. "Yes…"

"Okay. Didn't see that coming." Mondo admitted.

Suddenly, much to the shock and horror of everyone, someone laughed. And that someone was none other than Hiro.

"Good one, Sakura." Hiro laughed out. "That was a good joke."

His words and laughter caused Sakura to tense and clench her fist anxiously, while Hina grew a darkening look of anger. "You think it's a joke…?" Hina hissed.

"Yeah." Hiro nodded, not seeing the gestures from several other students to SHUT UP. "I mean, it's a joke, right? I can't imagine Ogre dating anybody. Or any guy wanting to date her…"

His words, along with the flinch from Sakura and memories of Hiro's conversation with Makoto, caused her to snap. "That's it!" Hina roared, standing up from her seat. As she raised fist and went to punch Hiro, Sakura quickly grab her arm. "Let me go Sakura! I'm gonna punch Hiro in the balls! Punch him again and again until he faints!"

That caused Hiro to squeal and cover his privates, while several of the other guys winced and subconsciously covered their own legs.

"Hina, please calm down," Sakura requested. "There's no need to hurt him."

"He deserves it!" Hina growled. "He insulted you, thought you were joking about having a boyfriend! And not only that, but he threw Makoto to a bunch of yakuzas weeks ago! He earned a good smackdown!"

That got the luckster to speak. "Hina, please! It's okay, it's over and done with now." Makoto told the girl. "Besides, you know that Spirit won't allow you to hurt Hiro. So please, calm down."

After a moment, the girl stopped struggling from Sakura's grip. She gave the fortune teller one last glare before settling back down in her seat.

Hiro gulped and shrunk in his seat, feeling the disgusted, disappointed, and angry looks sent at him. For once, he finally realized he needs to be quiet for a while.

 **That took Makoto by surprise. "First love…?"**

" **...Did you just laugh?" Sakura questioned, tensing up.**

" **N-No! I definitely didn't!" Makoto quickly reassured her.** ' _ **I mean, it's pretty surprising and all, but…'**_

 **Taking a breath, he continued. "You made the choice to tell me this story…" He stated, his voice firm. "So of course I'm not going to laugh. I would never…!"**

His words, along with the conviction in his voice, brought smiles to the group's face. It especially brought Hina back from her darkened mood.

"This is a proper reaction to a secret reveal!" Taka said, pride in his voice. "I am proud of your honest and mature words, Makoto!"

"It definitely helps understand how you're able to make friends with all of us." Sayaka said, smiling.

"As well as become our class representative with no competition." Kyoko added, a smirk on her face.

Makoto could only blush, especially from the beaming smile of Hina, as well as the grateful smile of Sakura. "It's not a big deal, is it? I mean, it's obviously not right to laugh at someone's secret."

"Most people would make fun of Sakura for that." Hina remarked, frowning a little. But quickly, her frown disappeared. "So it is a big deal that you didn't laugh! And don't try to say otherwise, mister!"

 **Sakura was silent, taking in his words. Then, she looked down in shame. "I'm ashamed of myself. I underestimated you." She then bowed her head. "I beg your forgiveness, Makoto."**

" **N-No, that's totally not necessary…" Makoto nervously told her.**

" **I just… didn't want to be laughed at." Sakura sighed. "Can you imagine? A girl like me, using the word love? And being shy about it is even more girly, right? I creep myself out, to be honest…"**

Hina frowned at that. "Sakura…" She couldn't but emphasize with her best friend. It's probably one of the reason why she so close to her. They both share the same insecurities.

"I never imagined that a woman like that would have such insecurities." Byakuya remarked, ignoring the glare from Hina. "Especially with the confidence you carry."

"There are always thing we aren't so confident about." Sakura told Byakuya. "Something we're unsure of or nervous about."

" **But you are a girl." Makoto pointed out."You're allowed to have a feminine side."**

" **But my goal is to become the strongest warrior on the planet." Sakura argued.**

" **Maybe, but you don't have to be 'manly' to find that kind of strength." Makoto retorted.**

Sakura couldn't help but smile. Makoto definitely share similarities with Kenshiro. ' _While he isn't as physically capable as my love, he's just as wise and strong-willed. And we will need that strength as we progress through this…'_

 **That caused Sakura to make a strangling noise, taking Makoto by surprise. "Huh? Are you okay?" He asked in concern.**

" **Y-Yes, I just… you made me remember something." Sakura confessed. "Kenshiro once said something very similiar. I'd forgotten about that… but there's no point to recalling his words now." She then let out a sigh. "I really am a girl… still dragging his words with me like a chain around my neck…"**

Her wording quickly cause some conclusions to be made. "Wait a minute… is Kenshiro…" Taka voiced out the group's concern.

"That would be explain why Sakura was scouted instead of him…" Byakuya murmured in thought.

Hina and Makoto, however, held back laughs, knowing that it isn't what they're thinking.

' _ **Huh? What do you mean…?'**_ **Makoto thought in concern. An answer then came up into his mind.** ' _ **He might be already gone.'**_

Sakura eyebrows rose a little at this, especially seeing the concern and sympathetic looks from the others. Did she really gave the implication that Kenshiro is dead to Hina and Makoto?

 **Hesitantly, he spoke. "Right now, Kenshiro is…"**

" **He's fighting." Sakura stated.**

That caught the others by surprise. "Seriously? He's just fighting?" Leon questioned. "Geez, you had me thinking for a moment there!"

"We thought Kenshiro was dead for a moment, Sakura!" Taka chided the martial artist.

She gave everyone an apologetic look. "Apologies. I didn't mean to make you all think that he was dead."

" **O-Oh!" Makoto exclaimed, a bit startled. "Jeez, I thought you were gonna say-"**

" **He's fighting an illness."**

And once again, the full attention of the group was grabbed. "He's sick?" Sayaka asked in concern. "How bad?"

"My future self will probably explain," Sakura assured him, as well as kept everyone from bombarding her with questions. "But it's very bad."

Kyoko, however, quickly made a conclusion. This illness must've weakened him, to the point that Hope's Peak wouldn't have been able to consider him for scouting. Thus left Sakura as the next best candidate.

" **...Huh?"**

" **When they found out, the doctors said he only had six months to live." Sakura said. "But six months has come and gone, and he's still fighting. That's just how he is. He would never let a disease beat him. He has to get better…"**

The truth both shocked them and touched them emotionally. "Well, damn." Mondo cursed. "Didn't think it would get this heavy…"

"An illness that suppose to kill him in six months…" Taka murmured. "And yet, he's able to persevere through that allotted time…"

"Your boyfriend really does sound strong Sakura…" Chihiro said in slight admiration.

"An admirable character indeed." Hifumi added.

Sakura smiled at that. "He is."

" **He's the strongest human alive. I admit that - no, I believe that." Sakura finished with conviction.**

" **S-Sakura…" Makoto stuttered out.**

"My, my. Such strong conviction there." Celeste said in slight amazement. "You truly believe this Kenshiro will be able to survive this disease?"

"I do." Sakura stated with no hesitation. "He's been in worse situations. He won't let a disease take him."

"And if Sakura believes it, then it must be true!" Hina stated with absolute belief. "Kenshiro will beat that cold!"

"I think so as well." Makoto said, giving a soft smile. "If Kenshiro is even half as strong as Sakura says, then he won't die from the illness."

Sakura directed her smile towards Hina and Makoto. "Thank you both, for believing in me." She told them sincerely. "As well as Kenshiro. I cannot wait to introduce him to the both of you."

"And I can't wait to meet him!" Hina said eagerly, with Makoto nodding in agreement.

" **I visited him once." She confessed, looking up at the ceiling. "He'd lost so much weight. He looked like an entirely different person. But do you know what he said? He told me that now I was the strongest human alive. That I had taken the title. He said he'd return someday to get his title back. He said I'd better not let anyone else take it."**

 **Sakura then faced Makoto once again. "He didn't need to say the last part. I'll never give up that title, not until he gets better. And when that day comes…" A fierce look enter her gaze. "I will defeat Kenshiro and earn that title for real."**

Her story had Sayaka, Chihiro, and Taka tearing up at the story. Celeste and Mondo felt themselves getting misty in the eyes and looked away from everyone, while some of the others had looks of respect or admiration.

"That's a really touching story, Sakura…" Sayaka said, wiping some of the tears away. "I really do hope he's get better."

"As do I!" Taka stated passionately. "And when the two of you faced each other, I wish you the best of luck Sakura!"

"I-I think I found inspiration for my next work!" Hifumi said, shedding a tear while Toko also took note for the same idea.

"If this Kenshiro manages to get back into his physical peak, then it will be an interesting fight to watch…" Byakuya said, a hint of respect in his voice. While he wouldn't admit this aloud, Sakura is one of the few people he respected, even before this. It's obvious that she worked her way up to her current position. And hearing this made his respect rise up a bit more.

" **And that's why I have to get stronger…"**

" **I had no idea…" Was all Makoto could say.**

" **That's my biggest reason for becoming the strongest human alive." Sakura concluded. "I'm sorry for wasting your time with such a long winded story…"**

"I don't think you need to apologize, Sakura." Makoto spoke up. "I'm sure my future self didn't mind. Especially after… the last conversation." That had several glaring at Hiro once more, causing him to wince once again.

"Then I'm glad my future self was able to relieve of any stress you felt." Sakura responded back.

" **I'm… not even sure why I told you." She looked down in thought. "I think that somehow… you remind me of him."**

" **Huh?" Makoto pointed at himself in confusion. "Me?"**

" **Well, in certain ways." The martial artist corrected herself. "Your build is obviously different, but you both have a strong core."**

" **Strong core…?" A blush entered the luckster's face. "N-No, I…"**

" **You don't have to be modest. I know strength when I see it." Sakura said, a smile entering her face. "Okay?"**

" **O-Okay…" Still, Makoto couldn't help but look down bashfully.**

"Yeah, you're definitely way too modest, Makoto." Hina scolded him. "If Sakura says you're strong, you have to be!"

"And she isn't the only one who thinks that. I also think you're strong." Chihiro spoke up, twiddling his thumb. "And I'm sure everyone else think so too."

"Chihiro is correct on that!" Taka stated. "While not physically capable as some of us here, you have an inner strength that few can match!"

"I have to agree with my bro and Chihiro hear." Mondo said, his voice soft. "You definitely got a lot of courage inside your heart."

Sayaka let out a giggle while Kyoko smirked, when Makoto's face turned beet red. "If everyone else says so, then it must be true." The blue haired grabbed a hold of his arm. "You have a big heart, one that's willing to face anything."

"And I'm sure that heart will help everyone in the killing game." Kyoko spoke up, grabbing Makoto's hand with her gloved one.

Makoto was able to croak a small, "Th-Thanks…". Then clamped up, not knowing what to say without embarrassing himself.

' _I agree as well. Makoto really is strong…'_ Mukuro thought to herself, admiration in those thoughts. Anyone willing to help others, even when dealing with their own demons, had to have a large amount of inner strength. ' _Unlike me, who can't decide who to side with now…'_

Junko, meanwhile, had the resist the urge to fall asleep. This is boring to her. While their brief moments of interesting happenings, much of this was so boring to her! Why they can't they get to the most despairings part more quickly? Is that too much to ask?

Fortunately for her, and unfortunately for the others, her wish will come very soon…

 **And that's the end. I hope you enjoy the chapter, especially the group's reaction to Hiro's free time event. And I hope none of the reactions feel repetitive, or at least not too repetitive. Next up, we'll be finally getting back to the main plot. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Nothing to note here except finals coming soon ): It's that time of the year again isn't it... *cries in despair***


	53. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 11

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I planned for this to be longer, but I decided to give Lucky a break on over 6,000 words chapter, especially when he got some things on his plate. Hope you guys don't mind. This chapter, we are back to the main plot. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Here we are moving on from the last chapter that Hiro kinda got himself dumpster-ed on. I mean, if you want other people to look good, you first gotta put yourself down am I right? Yeah? Yeah? (I'm looking at you Matou Shinji). Anyways, I'm happy to announce that I'm done with finals for the semester, and at this point, I hope all of you in school are also done with them. Christmas season is going to be busy as usual but with finals out of the way, I can at least relax at home now :D. Anyways, enough about me, let's move on.**

 **Q: Will Kyoko talk to Celeste and Hina for their actions? (Much longer post, but won't quote the whole thing)  
L: Well, both things have yet to happen so we haven't figured it out at least.  
S: What Lucky said.**

Chapter 51: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 11

 **The next showed Makoto sitting on his bed.** ' _ **I still have some time left. What else should I do…'**_ **Before he could decide that, however, he suddenly saw something slip under the door. "Huh?"**

The others quickly noticed that as well. "Is that a note?" Chihiro voice out everyone's curiosity.

"I would assume so." Taka confirmed.

"Hooh~? How interesting.." Junko chimed.

 **Curious, he went over to the object, to see that it was a piece of paper.** ' _ **Someone must've slipped it under the table…'**_ **The luckster then picked the paper and read it's content. It said, 'Meet in the Dining Hall!'**

As soon as they saw the small note, they all immediately knew who it came from. "Why do you want Makoto in the dining hall?" Sayaka questioned, suspicion and anger clear in her tone. "Are you gonna try to pressure him into donating his organs?"

"Or his identity?" Hina added. Several students were giving the clairvoyant suspicious and/or angry looks.

"I-I don't think it's that!" Hiro exclaimed nervously. He really hope it isn't about that.

"You should learn when to call it quits you idiot, if this is coming from me of all people, it truly means you're hopeless." Celeste said.

"I-I'm not hopeless!"

' _ **The handing writing is… really good.'**_ **Makoto thought, impressed.** ' _ **But to want to meet up so suddenly… Who wrote it? And why? What's the point of calling me out like this?'**_ **A small, nervous frown Makoto's face.** ' _ **I'm kind of nervous, but… there's no way I can't check it out now.'**_

"Are you sure it's wise to follow the content of that letter?" Hifumi asked nervously. "I mean, it could be a trap, just like in chapter 1." He didn't notice the slight flinch Sayaka for that statement.

"I don't think it's anything like that…" Makoto argued slightly. "Besides, if it is, then why not pick somewhere more secluded, like one of the other dorm rooms or locker rooms?"

"Fair point…" Sakura nodded in agreement.

 **The next scene switched to Makoto entering the dining hall, to see Hiro the only one inside. "Oh, Makoto!" Hiro greeted.**

" **Hiro…?" Makoto turned his head back to the letter in his hand. "Then the letter I found in my room…"**

" **Yup, I wrote it." The fortune teller confirmed.**

" **Your handwriting is… really nice." Makoto commented on, surprise.**

"Y-Yeah. It's r-really surprising." Toko stated. "I th-thought for sure that i-i-it would be messy."

"It's not like I'm a one-trick pony, you know!" Hiro responded back. "A have a few tricks up my sleeve!"

"You can't call exploits 'tricks'." Byakuya remarked, earning a squawk of protest from Hiro.

" **Well, I was always taught that if you had bad penmanship, a ghost would come and haunt you." Hiro stated.**

"And he learned it for the most ridiculous reasons…" Celeste sighed, shaking her head. "Where on Earth did you heard that?"

"From a couple of guys in some forums…"

"...And you wonder why we all think you're a hopeless sucker." Mondo deadpanned.

' _ **...Who taught you that?'**_ **Makoto thought in slight disbelief. Shaking his head, he got back to the matter of hand. "And why did you want to meet with me?"**

" **Oh, I just did what Kyoko asked me." Hiro revealed.**

" **Kyoko…?"**

At the mention of the detective's name, conclusions were quickly made. "This must be about Alter Ego, isn't it?" Mukuro said out loud. "Has any progress been made?"

"Or did two certain idiots attempt to see the AI privately?" Junko remarked, looking at Hifumi and Taka. The former shuffled awkwardly at this while the latter hung his head in shame.

" **I'm just an errand boy on this." Hiro stated. "Anyway, whaddya say to a late-night bath session?"**

" **Huh…?" Before he could think of say anything else, his mind deduced what Kyoko wants.** ' _ **She all of us to meet in the bath house? Then… did Alter Ego finish his research…?'**_

" **S-Sure, Hiro! Let's go take a dip together!" Makoto said loudly, quickly walking with the fortune teller.**

His acting earned sighs, smirks, and giggles from the group. "You really are a bad liar, Makoto." Hina giggled.

"Especially when put on the spot." Leon snickered.

Sayaka covered her mouth as she giggled while Kyoko merely smirked at the blushing boy. "As I said before, foolishly open."

"Let us hope his honest nature doesn't tip off the mastermind." Byakuya remarked.

" _ANYONE would've been tipped off by him"_ Junko deadpanned in her mind.

 **The next scene switched to Makoto and Hiro entering the dressing room of the bathhouse, where all of the other remaining students are waiting. As soon as they did, Taka angrily spoke up. "Hey! You! How long were you gonna keep us waiting?!" He pointed at his watch in irritation. "It's almost ten o'clock, you know that?! Bedtime for all good little boys and girls!"**

"I-Is he's gonna be like this for the rest of this future watching?" Toko asked in annoyance. "He's really annoying. M-More annoying that the current Taka."

As everyone looked over at Taka, everyone could feel the aura of depression emanating from him. "Am I really that annoying…?" Mondo could only pat his friend's back in comfort, not being able to deny that he can be at times.

" **Tch… shut up…" Hifumi growled.**

" **What'd you say?!" Taka turned to Hifumi fiercely. "You want me to make you cry, little girl?!"**

"Little girl?!" Hifumi roared, glaring at Taka. "How dare you?!"

"It was my future self's words!" Despite this, Taka stood up and bow in apology. "Never the less, I apologize for insulting you!"

"As if I would accept an apology from my riv-"

"Hifumi." Sakura interrupted sharply. "Don't try to make an argument. Taka apologized, even when it isn't himself saying those words."

The fanfic creator grumble, but didn't say anything else.

" **Taka…" Byakuya let out an amused snicker. "He seems to be even worse off than I'd heard. Well, maybe it's a good thing. Maybe he's finally starting to grow a personality."**

That made Taka's mood plumet even further. And for Mondo's temper to rise up. "That's a lot of shit you're letting out, Togami!" Mondo growled. "Maybe a knuckle sandwich would taste better?!"

"That insult is as clever as a lie from Makoto." Byakuya said dryly.

"I'm not that bad!" The luckster protested.

"Does the phrase foolishly open mean anything to you?"

"I manage to keep some secrets, didn't I?!"

" **What-?!" Now the moral compass faced the heir. "You got a lot of poop fallin' outta that mouth of yours, you know?!"**

" **How rude…" Toko hissed. "A maggot like you has no right to speak that way to our heaven-sent Master…!"**

That got a lot of groans from the group, especially Byakuya. "Oh great. Here goes that master crap…" Leon grumbled. "Honestly, where did that come from?"

"You're asking the wrong fucking people." Mondo muttered. And it doesn't seem Toko is gonna inform them of that. "I'm still trying to figure how the fuck Toko fell in love with the asshole."

" **Hm? Are you back to your normal gloomy self?" Celeste inquired. "I can hardly keep track at this point."**

" **Sh-Shut up…!" Was Toko's retort.**

" **Well anyway, everyone's here, right?!" Hiro quickly spoke up. "Then my messenger duty is done!"**

" **You wanted us all to meet here, right Kyoko? So, what are we doing here?" Sakura inquired.**

" **Isn't it obvious?" Hiro rhetorically asked. "It's gotta have something to do with Alter Ego, right?!"**

" **Yeah, totally!" Hina agreed eagerly. "Did he finally find a clue? What is it? A way out?! The mastermind's true identity?!"**

Their eagerness was started to affect the present Ultimates. "I'm really hoping that its a way out!" Hina stated. "Maybe a hint!"

"A clue to the mastermind's identity can be just as good." Chihiro added, leaning forward slightly. "Something that'll give us an edge on them."

"And considering Taka or Hifumi aren't begging for forgiveness, doesn't seem like the two went for another rendezvous!" Leon remarked with a grin. "So hopefully, it's something good!"

Unfortunately, their eagerness was cut through by Byakuya. "I wouldn't get your hopes up…" The heir pointed at the future Kyoko. "Take a look at Kyoko."

"Huh?" Immediately, the group looked at the detective's future self. Most of them didn't see a noticeable different, however.

But the girl herself and Makoto did. "She looks troubled." Makoto pointed out, frowning. "She got a slight frown on her face, like something unexpected happened."

That concerned everyone. "What do I have a bad feeling suddenly…?" Junko asked nervously.

 **At first, the lavender haired girl was silent. But after a moment of silence, she softly spoke. "It's gone."**

Blood run cold at that simple statement. "What… what did she say?" Hina squeaked.

" **Gone…?"**

" **I came here a little earlier to check up on things, and that's when I discovered…" Kyoko moved her body to reveal the empty locker. "Alter Ego - the laptop - has disappeared…"**

Immediately, faces went pale. "What?!" Sayaka exclaimed. "It's gone?!"

"Someone took Alter Ego?!" Makoto spoke up right after.

"Are you fucking serious?!" Mondo shouted.

"She's… she's kidding, right?" Hiro questioned, looking panicky. "Right?!"

Chihiro didn't say anything. Just stared a the screen with wide, horrified eyes.

Hifumi also had a similar, but far more potent. "She's...gone?!"

"Please don't tell that damn bear found the laptop!" Leon groaned.

" **What?!" Makoto shouted in shock.**

" **You're kidding, right…?" Hina asked, turning pale. Silence was her answer.**

" **H-Huh…? What…?" Hifumi stuttered out, trying to process what he heard. "She's… gone?"**

" **You can't be fudgin' serious!" Taka growled. "What'd you do with him?!"**

" **Was it the mastermind? Did they finally notice what we were up to?" Celeste questioned.**

" **I'd told Alter Ego to yell if anyone he didn't recognized appeared." Kyoko told her. "If it was the mastermind, I'm sure he would have alerted us."**

" **Maybe we just… missed it?" Hina hesitantly suggested.**

" **I was in the laundry room right next door all day. There's no way I wouldn't have heard have it." Kyoko shot back.**

That slightly relieved the group, but not completely. "But if it's not the mastermind," Celeste questioned. "Then who else… would…?"

Slowly, heads turn towards Hifumi and Taka. The two went pale under the looks, especially when Chihiro slowly gave them suspicious glares.

"Now, wait a moment!" Taka protested, waving his hands. "While I admit my future self is weirdly infatuated with Alter Ego, I doubt he would go as far as stealing! He should still have his moral values!"

"Don't you lie, vermin!" Hifumi growled, directing a glare at the moral compass. "I see what you're doing! Trying to redirect the blame at me to save your skin!"

"I wasn't even thinking anything remotely like that!"

Before Hifumi could argue any further, Kyoko interrupted them. "Enough. Now's not the time to point fingers." Kyoko stated, though her words are more directed at Hifumi. "We'll find out as we continue watching."

Hifumi grumbled but stayed silent, while Taka let out a sigh of relief.

" **B-But…" Makoto stuttered nervously. "If it wasn't the mastermind, then…"**

" **The solution to this particular mystery is obvious! It could only have been…" He pointed directly at Taka. "Him! Mr. Ishimaru! You stole her, didn't you?!"**

" **What?!" Taka shouted in outrage. "I'm the Ultimate Moral Compass! I would never do something like that!"**

" **I don't think it counts when you say it about yourself like that…" Hina replied with a sweatdrop.**

"Yeah, I agree with future me," Hina said in response to her future self. "Doesn't that, you know, ruin the image of the Ultimate Moral Compass?"

"It's merely stating a fact, Hina." Taka told her. "I am the Ultimate Moral Compass. I know and follow what's right and what's wrong, as well as do my best to make sure everyone around does the same. There's no need to be modest about something like that."

"Well, if you put it like that, I guess it makes sense…" Hina admitted, rubbing the back of her head.

 **Taka ignored Hina. "You're the suspicious one here!" He accused Hifumi. "You're nothin' but a big, jiggling sack of fat!"**

" **Shows what you know." Hifumi growled in indignation. "This isn't my true form! I still have three more transformations left!" A moment later, he fully processed the accusation made against him. "Er… wait, I mean - it wasn't me! Everyone knows YOU'RE the thief!"**

" **Wrong!" Taka denied. "It's you!"**

" **Well I'm sure it was one of you." Hiro spoke up. "So whoever did it, just hurry up and confess!"**

"Which one of you did it?" Chihiro questioned, glaring at the two. "Which one of you took Alter Ego?"

"C-Chihiro, calm down!" Taka nervously told the programmer. "It's no time to make hasty accusations!"

"B-But if it isn't the m-mastermind, then it has to be one of you two!" Toko pointed out. "No one else is interested in the AI like you two."

Sakura sighed to herself as if watching children fight amongst themselves.

" **No. There's no way either one of them did it." Kyoko rebuked.**

" **Huh?" Hiro, along with the others, looked at her in confusion. "Why not?!"**

" **I told Alter Ego to yell if either Taka or Hifumi came in the dressing room." The girl revealed.**

That took Taka and Hifumi by surprise. "W-What?" Hifumi stuttered.

"I see. A precaution in case either of the two got any ideas." Mukuro mused.

Taka's head slumped at this, depressed. "Am I really that untrustworthy?"

"It's just a precaution, Taka. Don't take it too personally." Kyoko told him.

 **That shocked both Taka and Hifumi. "Wh… what…?" Taka stuttered.**

" **It was a countermeasure against the clear danger that one of them might come for it." Kyoko explained.**

" **But… I never heard any yell." Celeste pointed out.\**

" **Exactly. Which means it wasn't them." Kyoko stated.**

"But… if it wasn't Hifumi or Tak, nor the mastermind, then who took Alter Ego?" Chihiro asked, frowning nervously. "I mean, I can't think of anyone else."

' _I can.'_ Byakuya thought. And judging from the grim or nervous looks from some of his more smarter classmates, they can as well. ' _The spy for the mastermind. The traitor.'_

" **Then… who was it?" Hiro asked, looking nervous.**

" **The fundamental circumstances are becoming clear…" Byakuya mused. "If it wasn't the mastermind, and it wasn't Taka or Hifumi… then quite simply, it was someone else. Makoto, Celeste, Sakura, Hina, Toko, or myself… one of us must be the thief."**

" **Why would any of US wanna steal Alter Ego?!" Hina exclaimed.**

"Yeah!" Hina agreed with her future self. "None of us has a reason to take it for ourselves!"

"Did you honestly forgot the end of chapter 2?" Byakuya sighed. "And this is coming from one who hasn't seen it himself."

That caused several more minds to click. "You're… talking about the spy, aren't you?" Sakura asked, her voice grim.

The heir nodded. "The spy, the traitor, the one working for the mastermind; they may have took it."

Blood ran cold at the mention of the spy. "But… we don't know for sure if there's actually a traitor!" Hina argued. "For all we know, Monokuma talked to somebody outside of Hope's Peak!"

"But if it was somebody else, Alter Ego would've screamed anyway." Kyoko countered. "So it can't be anyone outside of the surviving group."

"So the only options are Makoto, Hina, Sakura, Byakuya, Celeste, Toko, and Hiro." Mukuro mused. "Though we can take Makoto out, since we're looking at this through his point of view."

"And that means one out of six of us is traitor." Byakuya concluded. "One of us is spying for the mastermind."

"Also remember, none of us knows the other very well with limited exceptions like maybe Hina and Sakura. 'We' may understand that there's no reason to take it but 'they' don't." Kyoko added.

Several of the students had sick or anxious looks on their faces. Makoto's especially. Is there really a spy among them? Someone… working for the mastermind? He couldn't stomach the thought that one of them was actually a spy.

" **How about this for a reason?" The heir then dropped a bomb. "There is a traitor among us."**

" **...Huh?" Was the only response Makoto could give from that statement.**

" **One of us is working for the mastermind - a spy." Byakuya explained. "And that's the one who stole Alter Ego. Can you deny the possibility?"**

" **I-It can't be!" Makoto immediately denied.**

 **The luckster was ignored. "I've actually been thinking for some time now that there might by a spy among us." Byakuya murmured. "The mastermind brought someone in to help keep things moving smoothly."**

 **Makoto could only stand there, his mind numb.** ' _ **A spy for the mastermind? A… traitor?'**_ **He shook his head in denial.** ' _ **No… it's impossible. Something that horrible… t-there's no way!'**_

That's what several of them felt. That it was impossible for any of them to spy for the mastermind.

Yet… the evidence is there for them to see. First, the epilogue of chapter two. And now the missing Alter Ego, who hasn't been stolen by the mastermind, Hifumi, or Taka.

" **Why do you not speak?" Byakuya questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Are you struck silent by your inability to comprehend such a possibility?"**

"You're acting like your not a suspect!" Mondo growled, glaring at Byakuya. "Out of the people mentioned, you're the most likely to spy for the mastermind!"

Byakuya merely looked at him tensely. "While I'm not denying the possibility, my attitude during the entire thing does not include that I am a spy." He said stiffly. "And if your judgement is based on personality, you could easily look at Hiro and Celeste."

"Y-Yeah!" Toko agreed, glaring at Mondo. "T-Those two are g-greedy or cowardly enough to do it! So don't point fingers at Master!"

"Hey, don't throw me under the bus!" Hiro cried out. "Why do I have to be a suspect?!"

"DId you forget the last chapter, Hiro?" Sayaka growled. That got Hiro a bit sweaty.

"And please, don't drag me into this conflict." Celeste said, her smile becoming slight venomous. "Hina and Sakura are not abstained from being suspects."

"Sakura and I would never do that!" Hina denied, glaring at Celeste. "We wouldn't work for the mastermind, especially Sakura!"

"Do not use us to redirect the suspicion away from yourself. After all, we are all under suspicion." Sakura said tersely, giving the gambler a firm look.

Makoto and Kyoko gave each tense looks as the others continued arguing. They both knew that this was bad. If things continue on like this, this glimpse of the future could tear them apart.

"Enough!" Kyoko said sharply, effectively stopping the arguments. "This is no time to argue. We'll see whether or not there's a traitor as we continue."

"Kyoko's right." Makoto backed up the detective. "We can't spend our time arguing like this. That's what the mastermind wants."

That got the group to back down momentarily, though many are tense, and are giving each other hostile or nervous looks.

Junko held back a mad giggle. This is getting so deliciously tense! If this tension continues growing, then things will grow more and more interesting. They may not even be able to finish this watching.

" **I don't care!" Hifumi suddenly shouted. "I don't care… who…" A depress look entered his face. "Someone, anyone… save her. Please, rescue her. I'm begging you. I just want to see her smiling face again…"**

" **Same here." Taka clenched his feet tightly. "How many times do they hafta kill bro before they're happy…?" His teeth grinded anxiously. "I'll beg, I'll scrape my head across the ground. Just please give him back…!"**

"...This is both weird and sad." Leon groaned. "They're really attached to Alter Ego…"

"Yeah…" Hina agreed, giving a slight sympathetic look to the depress Hifumi. Now that she think about, Hifumi must be really lonely, to have fallen in love with an AI. Not to mention how the future Taka is feeling…

Chihiro also softened at the sight of Hifumi. While he still won't let the fanfic creator get anywhere near Alter Ego, he can't but feel sorry for his classmate.

" **This is pretty messed up…" Hina said softly. "But still, I think I kinda get how they feel…"**

" **I think Alter Ego is most likely safe, for the moment at least." Kyoko mused. "**

" **If they wanted to destroy it, they wouldn't have taken it." Celeste agreed. "They would've done it right here."**

" **So you're saying whoever did it has something else in mind for him…" Sakura deduced.**

"It's something, at least…" Makoto sighed. But, what do they have in mind for Alter Ego? That question rings in his, along with everyone else's, head.

' _ **Something else…?'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.**

" **That doesn't matter." Taka gritted out. "Nothing… nothing else matters... " He then rose his voice. "No matter what it takes, I'm gonna get him back! That's my promise as a man!"**

" **I swear I'll save her! Using the power of love…!" Hifumi declared.**

 **Before anything else could be done, the school bell rung. Seconds later, the nighttime announcement played as usual. "It's nighttime…" Hina said, frowning.**

" **It is unfortunate, but we will have to leave the search for tomorrow." Celeste stated. "For now, everyone get some sleep."**

" **How can you be so casual! We don't have time to wait around!" Hifumi growled.**

" **What good are you if you are too tired?" Celeste retorted. "You will be much more effective after a good night's sleep."**

" **Who gives a crap about 'effective'?!" Taka argued fiercely. "We're talkin' about our FEELINGS here!"**

"Never thought I hear Taka say something like that…" Leon remarked.

"Same." Sayaka agreed. "Then again, this a combination of Mondo and Taka…"

"So does this actually count?" Junko asked.

" **Anything we do at night brings a higher chance of the mastermind noticing us." Kyoko said in persuasion. "Celeste is right. We should begin our investigation tomorrow morning." She then turned to Makoto. "What do you think, Makoto?"**

" **I… agree with you." Makoto reluctantly said. "If we run around tonight in a panic, the mastermind is sure to notice, and we won't get anything done." He turned to Taka and Hifumi. "Taka, Hifumi… I know how you feel right now, but… it's best if, just for tonight… you can try to endure it."**

 **Both boys let out noises of frustration. But neither tried to argue Makoto's point.**

"I feel really bad for them…" Hina said softly, looking down. "This is really affecting them…"

"I feel the same, Hina." Sakura agreed. "But Makoto is right. They just have to endure it for one more night…"

" **Okay, then let us part for today." Celeste declared. "We will begin our search for Alter Ego in the morning."**

" **And you should think about what I said - someone may very well be spying for the mastermind." Byakuya advised the group.**

 **No one had anything to say to that. And slowly, the group trickled out of the locker room and towards their rooms. Makoto's voice began speaking over the clips. "Alter Ego… gone as quickly as he appeared…"**

 **Shots of each character's faces were shown as the narrator spoke. "We'd finally discovered some small measure hope. But even that… was taken away from us. And we couldn't even put up a fight."**

Looks of frustration, sadness, and anxiety entered several faces, especially those that had survived, as Makoto spoke. They had something. Something that could've given more of a clue to find out who they're dealing with, or possible even a way out! But, without any of them noticing, that vital clue was taken from them.

Chihiro bit his lip, worried and frustrated. Alter Ego was his only chance to help the others. But now, it's gone, possibly in the mastermind's hands. What are they planning to his AI? Will they try to track it? Erase it?

Kyoko, despite not looking it, felt as frustrated as the others, if not more so. Her future self finally had a clue, something to solve the mystery of the killing game. She did everything she could to keep the mastermind from taking it, yet it was taken all the same. She can't help but feel frustrated.

 **The scene then showed everyone slowly entering their rooms. "We were given hope, and then when that hope was taken away… despair." Narrator Makoto continued. "It's just like… just like what the mastermind is doing to us…"**

 **Next shown was Makoto sitting on his bed.** ' _ **Could it really be true?'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **Whoever stole Alter Ego… could they really be working for the mastermind? If that's true…'**_

Suspicious looks were cast at one another. Specifically on those who survived. Which one is a spy for the mastermind? Which one is a traitor to the group? Those were things several of them were thinking.

Makoto gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He hated it. He hated having to doubt his own friends. He wants to believe that none of them would take Alter Ego for nefarious purposes. None of them would work for the mastermind. But the evidence is plastered around.

And not only that, but his classmates are beginning to get tense around each other. Beginning to argue. Beginning to point fingers. Beginning to doubt each other. And that scares him more than anything.

" **No! It can't be! There's no way!" Makoto shouted to himself, holding his head.**

" **The scary thing isn't the idea of someone spying on us." Narrator Makoto spoke up once again. "What's really scary is… the idea that we're starting to doubt each other again. That scares me more than anything."**

" **Dammit…!" With that last shout, the present Makoto huffed and fall back into his bed. Not long after, he fell into a restless sleep.**

That made a crack in the tense. Some of the group begin looking awkward, as well as a bit guilty. They know they shouldn't be acting like this. That now isn't the time to doubt. But with each chapter, it's getting harder to believe the best in each other.

 **The scene switched to morning, with the school bell ringing and the morning announcement playing once again. Slowly, Makoto got up from his bed, determination entering his feature.** ' _ **Today… we have to look for Alter Ego.'**_ **He then spoke up to himself. "Okay, first thing first… to the dining hall!"**

 **The scene switched to Makoto quickly entering to the dining, in surprisingly high spirit. But when he got there, his confidence turned to confusion when he saw that only Sakura, Hina, and Kyoko is here.**

The present students mirrored Makoto's confusion. "There's only four in the dining hall?" Leon asked, raising an eyebrow. "Where are the others?"

"Why isn't my future self up and ready to save the fair lady?!" Hifumi demanded. While he was silent for the most part, due to being sadden, as well as his future self voicing his thoughts, he cannot be silent about this!

"Yeah. You would think Taka and Hifumi would be the first ones up to do this." Hina said, frowning a little.

" **Is this it?" Sakura asked, looking around. "What happened to the others?"**

" **Aren't they coming…?" Hina questioned in slight concern.**

 **Kyoko was silent, a slight frown on her face.**

' _ **Only three people in the dining hall…'**_ **Makoto thought to himself, looking at the three girls.** ' _ **Hina, Sakura, and Kyoko. So including me…'**_ " **Only… four people?" Makoto voiced out, confusion laced in that voice.**

Kyoko, like her counterpart, had a slight frown on her face. Could this be…? Is another murder about to be unveiled? But why would…

' _Of course… the motive.'_ Kyoko thought, not letting her thoughts show. ' _I forgot that they showed it early on.'_ And it seems like yet again, someone took the bait.

" **God! This is why hate people who take their sweet time with everything!" Hina pouted.**

" **Anyway, let's wait a little while longer for the others." Sakura advised.**

 **So the small group of four sat down, waiting for the others. "So we decided to wait, in case anyone else showed up." Narrator Makoto spoke. "But no matter how long we waited…"**

 **The scene slowly transitioned to Hina pacing in front of the table, Kyoko frowning in thought, and Sakura and Makoto looking concerned. "So… it's 8 o'clock. We've been waiting here a full hour…" Hina spoke, worried.**

"A full hour?" Chihiro said, his voice full of concern. "Where are the others?"

"While Byakuya and Toko being absent isn't a surprise, the others should've came." Sakura said, frowning.

" **Why haven't the others come?" Sakura asked, also concerned.**

" **Hiro and Celeste have never missed a day… till now." Hina pointed out. "And what I'm really worried about is… Hifumi and Taka."**

" **They were more eager than anyone to look for Alter Ego…" Makoto agreed. "And they're not here."**

"Maybe they decided to go 'fuck it' and went searching themselves?" Mondo suggested.

"I don't think so." Mukuro voiced her own opinion. "I think they would only do that if it was clear that no one else was going to search."

"Then what's the heck going on?" Junko asked, crossing her arms. However, contrary to her question, she's got a good picture to what is possibly happening. And she can't wait for the chaos to be unveiled.

 **Finally, Kyoko spoke up. "Something must have happened."**

" **Huh…?" Makoto, along with Hina and Sakura, turned towards the lavender haired girl at that statement.**

" **I was careless. I was too distracted by Alter Ego…" Kyoko murmured loudly. "But Monokuma gave us a motive. There was no way something wouldn't happen eventually."**

' _ **Monokuma's motive…'**_ **A flashback of Monokuma offering ten million dollars for the one who gets out of Hope's Peak.**

Blood ran cold at the implication. "Oh no, don't tell me…" Leon groaned.

"A-Another murder?!" Chihiro exclaimed, looking shaken up.

"B-But, it was money! Nobody should want to kill for money!" Hina protested, looking quite pale herself.

"And nobody should want to kill for secrets." Celeste retorted. "Yet we all saw what happened." Mondo gritted his teeth at that.

Makoto himself was shaking, scared of what is to come, but also angry that he has to accept it. He wanted to see that it wasn't possible, that no one would kill for money… but that would be a pointless endeavor. He knows what he's about to witness next.

 **After a moment of silence, Kyoko spoke up again. "We need to go look for the people who didn't showed up." She told the three.**

" **O-Okay. Let's go track them down…" Hina agreed, looking more than a bit scared. And with that, the four of them quickly left the dining hall.**

"So the ones who're safe are Makoto, Kyoko, Hina, and Sakura." Mukuro listed off. "Which means Byakuya, Toko, Taka, Hifumi, Celeste, and Hiro are possible victims."

The six mentioned tensed up, some looking incredibly anxious. All six were hoping that they aren't the next victims.

 **As they got into the hallways, Kyoko begans making plans. "We can cover more ground if we split up." She stated. She then turned to Sakura. "Sakura, you go check the dorms. Make sure to check all of our rooms." Next, she turned to Makoto. "Makoto, you check the first floor of the school. Meanwhile, I'll check the 2nd floor."**

" **Okay, then I guess I'll check the 3rd floor." Hina said, a look of determination on her face.**

" **Don't take risks. If anything happens, call for help right away." Kyoko ordered them.**

" **I really hope nothing happens…" Hina said worriedly.**

" **So do I." Makoto agreed.**

" **Okay, let's go." With Sakura's statement, the four left to do their individual search.**

The seriousness of the situation got some adrenaline running, several students tensing up. Like future Hina and Makoto, they hope nothing had happened. But, like the last two chapters, it's a futile hope.

Byakuya looked down in thought. Who would be the next murder victim? Hifumi? Taka? Celeste? Possibly even himself? It's hard to say at the moment. However, he grimaced to himself as he noticed that his adrenaline started flowing throughout his body at the excitement from the new developments. Old habits do die hard he noted to himself.

Hifumi and Hiro bit their nails nervously. Are they the next victim? Did somebody kill them? Fear gripped their hearts at the thought of seeing their own dead bodies.

Taka himself felt some anxiety. Is he the next one to die? Will he be denied the chance to have his bro live on through him? Will he die not being able to do anything? Or worse, be a murderer just like Mondo?

' _No!'_ Taka though forcefully. ' _I wouldn't stoop that low! I would not repeat Mondo's mistake!'_ With that thought, he can only pray that the worst won't happen.

Celeste felt herself clenching her fist tightly, to stop any shaking sensation. Why? Why is her body reacting like she's afraid? There's no way she's going to die. There's no need to be afraid. She isn't scared. She has no concern about dying. She should be used to taking risks all the time especially since she is infamous in the underground gambling world. So why is it so different now?

Everyone waited in anticipation as the future Makoto, Sakura, Kyoko, and Hina split up to search for the remaining survivors.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Next up, they'll be seeing an injured Celeste, Robo-Justice, an even more injured Hifumi, and then one or two dead students. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Dammit! A recap episode for Goblin Slayer today? I have to endure another week for it to happen? Noooooooooooo *cries in despair* Welp, I guess I'll start reading the LN then. Also, after finishing the latest singularity in FGO, I am now 110% more excited for the coming animation for it. I'm sitting her listening to the 2nd map music on loop for the billionth time and still not bored of it. MERLIN IS COMING.**


	54. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 12

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, I think I'm finally getting back to regular updates. Here's hoping that it will last.**

 **Before I begin though, there's something I want to tell you guys. I'm starting to write short stories, original ones that I plan to publish on Amazon Prime. These shorts are inspired by Danganronpa, along with a couple of other anime shows. The shorts will about different groups of characters, all trapped in a futuristic city. There will be elements similar to Danganronpa, but not completely. Each short will be about a different character. And the series of shorts will be called "Adept".**

 **If you want to know more about it, let me know and I'll talk more about it in the next chapter. And if your interested in reading, I'll let you know when I publish the first short (If you don't decide to keep an eye out for it yourself). So, with that out of the way, let's get back to this chapter. Here, the group will watch the introduction of Robo-Justice, as well as the 'injured' victims of his attacks. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Late Merry Christmas for everyone! And Early Happy New Years! I just finished my Christmas work grind on Monday and I'm about to go into a New Years work grind before the next semester of school hahaha... fun times. Anyways, the story progresses!**

Chapter 53: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 12

" **So, I searched all through the first floor, going from room to room." Narrator Makoto spoke as the TV showed the luckster going through each different rooms. "And just as I finished my search…"**

" **S-Someone! Come here!"**

" **What…!" Makoto's head shot up at sudden shout.** ' _ **That was Hina!'**_

Immediately, the whole class grew worried. "What the hell happened?!" Mondo exclaimed.

"Is she alright?" Sakura immediately asked.

"What did she find?" Byakuya asked right after.

' _ **She's supposed to be checking…'**_ " **...the third floor!" Without thinking any further, Makoto ran for the stairs.**

 **The next scene switched to Makoto flying up the stairs to the 3rd floor, to see a rattled Hina standing in the hallway. "M-Makoto!"**

" **Hina, what's wrong?!"**

" **I-It's awful…" She stuttered out. "The rec room door was open… a-and when I looked inside, I saw… I saw…!"**

"AARRRGH! Finish your damn sentences!" Leon yelled out in frustration.

' _ **What did you see?'**_ **Makoto thought with dread.**

" **I'd better get the others… right…?" Hina asked, still looking pale. Before Makoto could answer, she began running to the stairs. "I… I'm gonna go get 'em! You go on ahead, Makoto!" With that, she ran down the stairs.**

" **The rec room…?" Makoto looked at the direction of the rec room nervously. "What did she see in there…?"**

"Please don't be another body, please don't be another body, please don't be another body…" Hiro muttered repeatedly, crossing his fingers.

 **Without thinking anymore on it, Makoto launched himself into the rec room. And the first thing he saw was Celeste, leaning on the wall with a bruised marked on her face.**

"C-Celeste!" Makoto cried out in worry.

"What happened to her?!" Hina cried out with panic.

"Looks like she was attacked." Mukuro answered, easily working out what direction the blow came from and having a general idea on what kind of weapon it could have been.

Celeste, despite her looks, was also quite concerned. Did someone try to kill her? Who? And why? Lost in her though, she didn't realize her hands began shaking.

" **C-Celeste!" Immediately, Makoto ran over and bent on one knee beside her. "What happened?!"**

" **I was… stupid." She groaned, her accent sounding rough. "I got… attacked."**

"Look like you were correct, Mukuro." Makoto said, frowning.

"Who would attack the fair Miss Ludenberg?" Hifumi exclaimed in horror.

" **Attacked?! By who?!"**

" **I am not sure." Celeste answered. "Some sort of… strange man."**

" **Strange man…?"**

"What the hell do you mean by strange?" Mondo questioned. "Is it somebody we don't know?"

"But no one else is in the school other than us and the mastermind, right?" Taka questioned. "So could it be anybody else?"

" **A suspicious person whose existence is so unusual, I can't help but call him strange…" Celeste explained. "Without a doubt, it was some sort of strange suspicious individual."**

"Can you give us some details, here?" Leon groaned. "Cause that's not helping at all."

"Trust me, if I could control what my future self says, I would've done so some time ago." Celeste retorted. She herself wonders why future self is being so cryptic. Is it that hard to describe the person?

" **And that man attacked me, with the hammer on the ground there…" She weakly pointed at the blue, small hammer a few feet away from her.**

The design of the hammer caught the group's attention. "What the heck?" Leon spoke, frowning in befuddlement. "What's up with the design?"

"I'm… not sure." Kyoko said, narrowing her eyes in confusion. Where did it come from? Did someone made it?

"For the most part, it seems to be the right weapon." Mukuro commented, comparing her findings from earlier.

Hifumi also narrowed his eyes at the hammer. Why does the design for it seem so familiar…?

 **Makoto went over to where the hammer is at.** ' _ **What is this…?'**_ **He picked it up and examined it.** ' _ **It's some kind of… wooden hammer or something? Pretty strange design…'**_ **He then saw the name on it.** ' _ **There's some writing on the head…'**_ " **Justice… Hammer… 1?"**

" **That's the hammer he attacked me with." Celeste told him. "I barely managed to avoid the blow, but I stumbled and fell. I now curse my lack of daily exercise…"**

Celeste bit her lip. Should she perhaps take some form of exercising in the near future? While the thought sounds abhorring to her, she can see now that her lack of strength could affect her negatively, as much as she hates to admit it.

She then finally noticed her hands shaking once again, and again, forced them to stop. She held back a growl of frustration. What is wrong with her? Why is her body refusing to keep in control?

' _ **So you were attacked… with this?'**_ **Makoto thought, looking at the hammer once again.** ' _ **Justice Hammer 1…'**_

 **Before he could think on it further, a shout caught his attention. "Makoto! Celeste!" The two turned to see Hina and Sakura running in. "I found Sakura!"**

" **C-Celeste… what on Earth happened here?" Sakura asked, stunned.**

" **Apparently she was attacked by some kind of strange man…" Makoto revealed to them.**

" **A… strange man?" Sakura repeated, confused. She turned towards the down gambler. "Tell us everything you can remember, Celeste. Be as detailed as you can…"**

Everyone leaned forward, anxious to hear what exactly happened.

" **Well, it all happened earlier this morning…" Celeste began. "I woke up a little before 7 am. Nighttime was not yet over, but I knew it was about to end, so I decided it would be okay if I took a little stroll around the 1st floor." She winced as she touched the bruise on her face. "...I understand now that that was a mistake."**

" **Anyway, that's where I first saw the strange man. I was immediately wary of him…" She continued. "He was obviously suspicious, so I decided to follow after him in secret. As I followed, I saw him go into the rec room. I tried to get a peek through the gap in the door, which is when he noticed me, and…"**

" **And that's when you were attacked." Sakura concluded.**

Celeste frowned. Waking a bit before 7 seemed reasonable. But following a strange man, willingly? That's something difficult to believe.

Perhaps she suspected that this man was the mastermind? Did she think it was worth the risk to find out?

Also, what's with the lack of details? Everything she said so far was pretty ambiguous.

" **It happened after 7 a.m., just after nighttime had ended." Celeste stated.**

" **So if it happened just after 7 o'clock…" Makoto trailed off.**

" **...then that was just about an hour ago." Sakura finished. "Right when we were all meeting in the dining hall…"**

" **The attack caused me to lose consciousness." The gambler told them. "Which would mean, I was unconscious for about an hour."**

" **Well, I'm just glad you weren't hurt too badly…" Hina sighed.**

"But why didn't he try to kill you while you were knocked out?" Leon asked, crossing his arms. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad nobody else has joined the dead club, but that's just strange."

"Perhaps killing isn't their real goal." Mukuro mused.

"Or they have a different target in mind." Byakuya added, giving a few chills down students' spines.

" **That is because I begged and groveled for my life…" Celeste admitted.**

 **That caused the three to look at her in slight surprise. "You did?" Sakura asked.**

 **Slowly getting up, Celeste explained herself. "I told him I'd do anything if he spared me. I offered to lick his boots, whatever it took…"**

That got more than a few raised eyebrows. "Damn." Leon whistled. "Your actually willing to throw your pride away just to survive?"

"So it would seem…" Celeste answered, keeping an aghast look from entering her face. While the thought of begging for anything appalled her, she can see sense of pleading for her life if possible.

Still, it must have been an absolute last resort or...

" **So you were willing to throw away all your pride…" Sakura sighed.**

" **It is a necessary skill for survival." Celeste replied quickly in defense. "Anyway, the important thing now is that we go search for the suspicious individual. If we do not hurry, this could become a serious problem."**

 **That caught the group's attention. "Celeste… what do you mean, a 'serious problem'?" Makoto asked cautiously.**

" **When I looked in the rec room, I saw that the suspicious man was not alone." Celeste explained. "He had with him… Hifumi."**

"H-Hifumi?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock.

"ME?!" Hifumi gasped in horror.

"Oh crap!" Hiro stated nervously. "That isn't good!"

"Thanks for the input, Captain Obvious!" Mondo retorted, looking quite worried himself.

Celeste, meanwhile, felt her eyes widen before she could stop herself, a wave of panic slowly washing over her.

" **H-Hifumi?!"**

 **A distressed look entered her face. "After he attacked me, he dragged Hifumi away…"**

" **You mean… Hifumi was kidnapped?" Sakura questioned in shock.**

This got everyone worried. "What is he planning to do to Hifumi…?" Hina asked, looking scared.

"D-Do they plan to t-t-torture before he dies?" Toko stuttered out, wrapping her arms around herself. "M-Make his death p-painful and g-g-gory?"

"You strangely sound happy about it..." Hiro commented.

"Please don't put such ideas into my head!" Hifumi pleaded, holding said head.

" **Shouldn't we start looking for him, then…?" Hina asked in concern, looking ready to go searching immediately. "Listen, Celeste… did anything in particular stand out about this strange guy?"**

" **Did anything stand out? Well…" The gambler looked down at her side. "Rather than trying to explain it, it would probably be faster if I showed you."**

That got the others confused. "What does she mean, show us?" Sayaka asked, confused. "How can she show us?"

" **Show us…?" Makoto asked in confusion.**

 **Celeste then revealed the camera she was hiding, holding it up in her hand. "This is Hifumi's hand-me-down. His digital camera…"**

 **Makoto's eyes widen in realization. "You don't mean…!"**

Several other eyes widen. "She managed to get a picture of the attacker…?" Chihiro gasped in shock.

"Without him realizing it?" Taka added.

"Wow! Nice one Celeste!" Hina cheered.

This gave the gambler a nice distraction, and had her smiling smugly. "But of course. I can't have this individual get a complete victory over me." It was strange feeling proud over another person's achievements, even if the person was another version of herself. This feeling isn't that bad.

" **I was able to photograph the suspicious individual without him realizing it." She stated, her voice more confident.**

" **Seriously?!" Hina exclaimed, getting up close to Celeste. "Let's see it!"**

 **Celeste held the camera for them to see. "I would tell you not to be shocked, but I fear it would do you no good."**

"At this point, nothing could surprise us." Leon sighed. "I mean, we got a frickin robotic bear holding us hostage for a game of murder each other!"

"Oh boy, you got us jinxed bad…" Junko remarked.

 **With that, the group leaned over to see who the suspicious individual is…**

… **Who turned out to be a giant robot, holding Hifumi by the shoulders.**

It took a couple of moments for the group to process what they're seeing. When they did…

"WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Hifumi screamed in shock.

"What the fuck…?" Leon breathed out, baffled at what he's saying.

"What the hell are we looking at… ?" Byakuya questioned in befuddlement.

"Is that… a robot costume?" Hina asked in pure confusion.

Even Kyoko, Celeste, and Mukuro looked utterly lost at what they're seeing.

"Guess that would explain why Celeste couldn't explain it properly…" Sayaka murmured, looking just as confused as the others.

"That, is indeed... a strange sighting." Kyoko reluctantly agreed, also let down by the fact that it could have been concrete evidence.

Makoto numbly nodded his head in agreement. "And it explains the title of this chapter too…"

" **Huh…?" It took a few seconds for Makoto to fully process what he's seeing before reacting more strongly. "Whaaaaat?!"**

' _ **Well, you were definitely right about the "strange" part…'**_ **The luckster couldn't help but think.** ' _ **Their face is totally covered.'**_

" **Is that a… robot costume?" Hina asked, still shocked from being bewildered.**

Hifumi, after recovering from his shock, spoke. "Not just any costume!" He exclaimed. "That is Robo Justice!"

That got the attentions of the others. "The fuck are you going on about…?" Mondo bluntly asked.

Makoto was the one to answer. "It's one of the anime shows Hifumi watches." He explained to the group. "One of his favorites." He then turned to the fanfic creature. "You're sure that's Robo Justice?"

"Positive!" Hifumi stated, nodding. "I could recognize him from a mile away!"

"But… why would someone disguise themselves as a character from an anime?" Byakuya questioned, still trying to process what he saw. "And how would they know of it?"

"It's possible that someone other than Hifumi watched the show, right?" Chihiro suggested.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes in thought. That's possible, yes, but somehow, that felt too convenient. There was something strange about this whole ordeal so far, but she just can't put her finger on it yet.

" **As I said, a very strange and suspicious individual, yes?" Celeste asked for confirmation.**

" **So this weird robot guy… dragged Hifumi away?" Makoto asked.**

" **And I took this right after being attacked." Celeste answered. "In other words, a full hour ago."**

Blood ran cold at this. "Damn it…" Leon cursed. As much as he butt heads with Hifumi, he didn't want to see him dead. "They need to find him, fast!"

"I-It's been a f-full hour, already." Toko reminded him, shaking. "F-For all we know, h-he may be already d-d-d-dead!"

"But we don't know that for sure!" Hina countered, trying to retain any color, and any positivity, she still had. "We… we could still save him!"

Hifumi, was just as pale as the others, if not more so, closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. "Don't be too late, don't be too late, don't be too late…" He chanted.

" **Which is why if we don't hurry, it could become a serious problem."**

" **I believe I understand what happened." Sakura was about to say more, before pausing and then shaking her head. "Well, no, there is much I don't understand. But…" She looked at the picture once more. "The point is, someone dressed like that dragged Hifumi away."**

" **And it happened over an hour ago…" Makoto repeated what Celeste said.**

" **This is bad! We have to hurry!" Hina said urgently.**

 **Makoto, Hina, and Sakura quickly turned towards Celeste. "Celeste, do you know where this mysterious man went?" The luckster asked.**

 **Celeste frowned in thought. "When they left the rec room, they headed left…" She said.**

" **If that's true, they were headed toward the stairs leading down to the 2nd floor!" Sakura deduced.**

"Wait, isn't that where Kyoko…" Makoto's eyes slowly widen in fear. "Where's Kyoko?"

"Is she still in the 2nd floor?" Sakura questioned, her eyes narrowed. "If so, she's in possible danger."

"I don't think you have to worry too much." Kyoko assured them. "I doubt the suit is designed to overpower a person."

" **Then he must be down there, right!?" Makoto stated.**

" **The 2nd floor…" Hina frowned at this. "That's where Kyoko was supposed to be…"**

" **Huh?" Makoto turned towards the swimmer. "Speaking of which, why isn't Kyoko here?"**

" **Sorry… I didn't have time to go look for her." Hina explained.**

" **This is bad." Sakura stated. "If the strange man did head to the 2nd floor, Kyoko might run into him…"**

 **Immediately, a look of worry entered Makoto's face. "We have to hurry! Kyoko's in danger!" As soon as he said, they all rushed out of the room and to the second floor.**

By now, everyone was tense with worry. Is Hifumi okay? Is Kyoko okay? Did she run into this 'Robo-Justice'? And who's in the costume in the first place?

Hifumi himself felt terrified for his other self. Is he gonna end up another corpse? Beat up and tortured? Tortured then killed? The possibilities in his head scared him even more.

Kyoko, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes in thought. Yes, something definitely seems off about this. Why didn't the disguised individual destroy the camera Celeste had? Did they not see it somehow when they knocked her out? Maybe the helmet didn't provide the best visibility?

Byakuya was having similar thoughts. He was also wondering where the costume came from. From what they've seen, Monokuma doesn't have costumes like that laying around, so someone had to have made it. The only one who he could think of making that contraption is Hifumi, but the fool was held hostage by the one wearing that disguise. Something doesn't add up.

 **The next scene switched to the back of Byakuya and Genocide Jack, the two of them walking in the 2nd floor. "Hey, you two…" The two turned to see Makoto, Hina, Sakura, and Celeste running up to them.**

"So Byakuya and Toko are safe," Chihiro sighed in relief. "That's good."

"Kinda." Leon sarcastically added. His comment was ignored by the mentioned Ultimates.

" **What's going on? What's all the fuss?" Byakuya inquired.**

" **Yeah! You guys playin' a game or something?!" Jill added in.** (Toko flinched at the sight of Jack, but didn't make any distress noises this time)

" **Does it freaking LOOK like we're playing a game?!" Hina exclaimed in response.**

 **Before anything else could be said, Makoto interjected. "Listen, have either of you seen Kyoko or Hifumi?!"**

" **Nope, nope, sure haven't!" Jill answered.**

" **Are they on this floor? We just got here ourselves." Byakuya told them in his usual calm demeanor. "I heard some kind of uproar, so I came running."**

" **We came here together!" Jill stated, a blush on her face.**

" **No… you're just stalking me." Byakuya bluntly said, an annoyed look on his face.**

Toko scowled at that. "S-Stop stalking master!"

"Like you're one to talk." Leon retorted. "What the heck do you call spying on him in the library?"

"I-I was admiring him!"

"Keep telling yourself that." Mondo said dryly. "Maybe someone will believe you."

" **A-Anyway, can you guys help us look for them?" Makoto requested, getting back to the main topic.**

" **Why?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What happened?"**

" **There's no time now. We'll explain later." Sakura told him.**

" **Well… fine." The heir accepted for now. "It sounds like something interesting is going on."**

Junko snorted at that. "Understatement there."

"Yeah. A dude in a robot suit, dragging Hifumi around is definitely more than interesting." Leon agreed.

" **HIFUMI! KYOKO!" Hina called out loudly. "If you can hear me, say something!"**

 **Most of the students heard nothing. But one did. "Hm…?" The group turned towards Sakura, who was looking at a certain direction.**

" **Did you hear something?" Celeste asked.**

" **Maybe…" Sakura replied, focusing a little bit more before turning sharply towards her instincts. "I think it came from… the library!"**

" **The library?! Okay, let's go!" At Hina's declaration, the group started running to the library as fast as they could.**

 **The next scene cut to the group barging into the library. And the first thing they saw was Hifumi, leaning on one of the shelves, blood dripping from his head and mouth. "It hurts… it hurts…!" Hifumi groaned painfully, looking dizzy.**

Everyone's eyes widen at the sight of an injured Hifumi, especially the fanfic creator himself. "Hifumi!" Sayaka exclaimed in concern. "He's hurt!"

"Clearly." Celeste retorted, trying not to show too much concern. "But how badly?"

"Enough to give him swirls in his eyes, that's for sure…" Mondo remarked.

"But I'm still alive…" Hifumi sighed in slight relief. "That's a good thing. I haven't perished."

 **Several eyes widen in concern. "A-Are you okay?!" Makoto exclaimed in concern.**

" **I'm glad to see… you're still alive…" Hina said, though looked worried.**

" **It's super bad, though…" Hifumi groaned. "Look at all the blood…"**

" **How did you get hurt?" Byakuya inquired.**

" **That guy hit me…"**

 **Makoto looked at him curiously. "What guy?"**

" **Robo Justice." Hifumi stated. After a moment of pause, he continued. "Er, that's what I decided to call him, just now…"**

 **That earned a confused look from Byakuya. "What are you talking about…?"**

" **Th-That guy was… Robo Justice…" Hifumi repeated perilously.**

" **This 'Robo Justice' you are referring to is…" Celeste held up the camera for the group to see. "This, is it not?"**

 **Byakuya, who looked at the picture for the first time, looked utterly befuddled. "W-What the hell am I looking at…?"**

"We're asking the same question, dude." Leon stated as they gazed at the picture. "Second time around, and it doesn't look any less weird."

" **This is the one that attacked Celeste and Hifumi." Makoto told him. "Isn't that right, Hifumi?"**

" **Yeah… that's him, I'm sure of it…" Hifumi confirmed with a dizzy nod. "Robo Justice…!"**

" **Robo Justice, huh…?" Byakuya mused, though still looked confused.**

" **This just keeps getting stranger…" Sakura murmured.**

"Agreed." Mukuro said, nodding her head. "Why hasn't this 'Robo Justice' person, as Hifumi called it, killed anybody yet? He had the chance to kill both Hifumi and Celeste, yet didn't act on it."

"Well, I'm not complaining!" Hifumi spoke up with obvious relief.

"Neither am I." Celeste added. Though she herself wonders that. If the one in the suit is a fellow survivor, why didn't they take the chance to… finish, either one of them? While her future self said that she begged, she highly doubt someone desperate enough to escape would just spare her life. It's possible that they wore the costume in the first place, just to ensure that no one will recognize them as they perform their murder, but that doesn't explain what happened to Hifumi.

The only thing she could think is that it's someone outside of the surviving group, possibly the mastermind, but had doubts. Something is wrong with this, she can tell.

Meanwhile, Junko realized her mistake in setting up this whole killing game: She forgot to implement a kill limit! It would've been boring if one person decided to kill everyone else undetected and win by default. That's not enough despair!

 **As they talked, Makoto looked down to see another hammer lying around, with the same features as the first one.** ' _ **It's a hammer, just like the one Celeste was attacked with in the rec room. But this one is…'**_ " **Justice hammer 2…?" Makoto read outloud, picking up the hammer.** ' _ **And on top of that… this one is actually a little bigger than the last one!'**_

Eyes widened at that. "Holy shit man," Mondo gasped. "I surprised you can still move from a goddamned hit like that!"

"Y-Yeah, I'm surprised too…" Hifumi stuttered, looking at the hammer fearfully.

"This Robo Justice guy must not have a strong arm," Junko remarked, crossing her arms. "Cause that seriously should've made you unconscious at least."

"So not only is there somebody attacking people in a robot disguise," Chihiro murmured, looking concern. "But they're also having the hammers increase in size with each attack?"

"I wouldn't make that conclusion yet, but a bigger hammer is definitely a concern." Kyoko said.

That got a worried look from Makoto. "That doesn't good." He stated. "If they go after someone else with a even bigger hammer, that could seriously injure someone."

"Possibly even kill them, if given enough force." Mukuro added. That wiped away the bit of relief the group was feeling. But something didn't feel right to Mukuro. There was a lot more blood than expected from a hammer blow rather than bruising. And from Makoto's perspective, there was too much blood to get a proper look at his wound so Mukuro couldn't make any conclusions yet.

" **He attacked me with that hammer. He bonked me right on the head with it…" Hifumi groaned.**

"With all that blood, that's beyond 'bonking'..." Hiro frightfully commented.

" **A hammer that big, I'm surprised you're still okay…" Hina said, looking at the hammer.**

" **I'm not okay…!" Hifumi retorted painfully. "Look at all this blood…"**

" **Protein help wounds, you know." Sakura advised. "Would you like some?"**

" **...I have never heard of such a thing." Celeste deadpanned. "Are you sure it isn't just you?"**

"I'm still trying to figure out how she was able to gain a healing factor through that training of hers," Byakuya sighed, pinching the crease between his eyes. "But that's a mystery for another day. We still need to deal with this headache."

"And I have a feeling that this isn't the end of it." Junko sighed. Inwardly, however, she's giddy. Things are finally starting to get exciting now! No more of that boring friendship stuff going on earlier! Come on! Let's see what kind of show you've put on this time my participants!

Of course, she already figured out that both Celeste and Hifumi were acting, and that Hifumi probably made the robot suit as well since he's the only one with both the ability to do so and the knowledge of it. Those two were being so obvious to her that its that's a bit funny that very few of her classmates were following along. Ah, the complicated life of being the Ultimate Analyst. Also, if she knows herself, it's just about time for...

 **Suddenly, Monokuma came up with his usual maniacal laughter coming from his mouth.**

As usual, it surprised the group, causing several screams and shrieks. "Seriously, him again?!" Leon groaned.

"Can he just get the fuck out of here?!" Mondo shouted in annoyance.

"This has got to be a joy for him to watch." Celeste sighed.

 **Several of the survivors jumped away in shock. "It's him!" Hina gasped.**

 **The bear continued giggling. "A robot of justice, huh?! Now things are really starting to get exciting!" He exclaimed in glee. "What kind of special moves does it have? Can it fly? Can it COMBINE?!" With one more round of laughter, he disappeared.**

Sayaka let out an annoyed groan at this. "What was the point of that?"

"I doubt it was nothing more than an annoyance right now." Kyoko sighed. "We should ignore him for the time being. We shouldn't give him anymore attention than needed."

"Good point." Taka agreed.

" **Why… is he here?" Byakuya questioned, looking at where the bear disappeared from.**

" **Let us not concern ourselves with him…" Celeste quickly advised. "What we need to do now is get Hifumi to the nurse's office right away. Whatever else we do, he needs to be treated as soon as possible."**

Byakuya raised an eyebrow at this. "You seem awfully concerned about your classmate."

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Celeste responded, her facial features betraying nothing.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because you've shown in the past that you could care less about Hifumi, at least in the beginning." The heir pointed out. "So it's odd for you to show such concern for him."

"The events of this morning probably rattled my future self enough to be concern for the welfare of my classmates." Celeste responded without hesitation. "Even that of Hifumi."

While she said that, however, she can't help but notice too. Byakuya does have a point. She rarely, if ever, showed that much concern to her fellow classmates. Especially since most, if not all, are D rank during the time (Though Hiro is lower than all of them).

"Perhaps what happened unveiled your tsundere side and you're now showing how much your care for me?" Hifumi suggested in a dream-like state.

That got facepalms from a few, while Celeste held back an annoyed groan. "Seriously, dude? Now's not the time." Leon groaned.

" **You're right! Let's go!" Hina immediately agreed with.**

" **Ngh… thanks, everyone…" Hifumi groaned.**

 **The next scene cut to the group in the nursing room, bandages wrapped around Hifumi's forehead. "How ya feelin', Hifumi?" Hina asked softly, right beside the fanfic creator. "You want me to take a look at ya?"**

" **I-I'm okay…" Hifumi stuttered a little, holding his head. "I think it stopped bleeding. I'm still kinda dizzy, though…"**

" **Perhaps you should rest here a while." Celeste suggested.**

" **Y-Yeah, good idea…"**

"Looks like things are calm for the time being," Makoto spoke up. "Hopefully, they can find this attacker soon."

"I doubt finding a guy dressed in a giant robot suit would be hard to find." Leon stated.

" **The rest of us should get back to looking for that mystery assailant…" Sakur advised.**

" **Indeed. Before another victim appeared…" Celeste said in agreement. "The Justice Hammers seem to be increasing in size; first 1 and now 2."**

" **If there is a Justice Hammer 3, we can only assume it is even bigger than the first two." Byakuya mused.**

 **Hina's eyes widen in shock at this. "If you got hit with anything bigger than that, you'd be dead for sure!"**

 **Byakuya directed his attention towards Hifumi. "Tell us what happened to you, Hifumi."**

" **Well… I woke up early this morning and started looking for Alter Ego ahead of everyone else…" Hifumi explained, whispering so the mastermind won't here. "I went to the 3rd floor, and that's where the strange costumed man attacked me…"**

" **That must be what I witnessed at around 7 this morning." Celeste spoke up.**

" **After that, he dragged me to the library and WHACK! Down came the hammer…" Hifumi concluded. "That must've been… 30 or 40 minutes ago."**

"Around the time Makoto, Kyoko, Hina, and I were still at the dining hall." Sakura stated. "Which means this Robo Justice couldn't have been any of us."

"Which would leave Byakuya, Toko, Taka, and Hiro as suspects." Mukuro listed off.

" **At around 7:30 in other words… we would've still been in the dining hall." Hina murmured loudly.**

' _ **Which means Hina, Sakura, and I were together, and Kyoko was still with us.'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **So we all have alibis…'**_

Makoto frowned. Where on earth is Kyoko? She didn't hear all the commotion that was happening in the second floor? Is she even there at all?

" **I was in the laundry room, doing my laundry." Byakuya told the group.**

" **His black underwear is as black as the pitch-black darkness of the blackest night…" Jill added.**

 **The heir turned towards the serial killer with a scowl. "Why do you know that…?"**

 **An innocent smile entered Jill's lip, her tongue still out. "Isn't it obvious? Cuz I was peeking!"**

Byakuya bit back a growl of annoyance. "If I knew she was as degenerate as Hifumi, I would've put a restraining order on the fiend."

"B-But master," Toko protested. "You might have to put a restraining order on me too!"

"For once, a decent suggestion." Mondo commented.

 **Makoto shook his head before getting back to his thoughts.** ' _ **Anyway, so that means Byakuya and Toko were together at the time. Meaning they also have alibis…'**_

"Which means the only ones who could have been able to wear the costume are…" Mukuro looked at the two remaining suspects. "Hiro and Taka."

The two mentioned students paled, especially the fortune teller.

' _ **The the only ones who don't have alibis for when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked are… the only two we haven't seen yet - Hiro and Taka. That's it, right…?'**_

"How much do you want to bet that it was Hiro that did it?" Junko asked everyone.

That got a startled yelp from the fortune teller. "H-Hey! Why does it gotta be me?!"

"Maybe because you're willing to do anything and everything to survive and get your hands on money?" Hina retorted, glaring at him. "You clearly showed that with that last talk with Kyoko!"

"B-But, it could also could've been-"

"Finish that sentence and I'll punch your fucking lights out!" Mondo growled, getting another frightened yelp from Hiro. "My bro would never have done something like that!"

"You say that, but it's also been said that you wouldn't have killed Chihiro." Byakuya pointed out. "And also that Sayaka wouldn't have attempted a murder. Both turned out to be wrong."

"You actually think bro would kill somebody?!"

"Yeah! I would never stoop that low, especially not for money!" Taka protested. "I wouldn't repeat the same mistake as Mondo did!"

"I'm just saying it's a possibility, that's all." Byakuya responded back. "Hiro's the more likely suspect, of course, but that doesn't mean Taka should be written out."

"He's right." Kyoko agreed before any more arguments could break out. "In any case, the group should be looking for this Robo-Justice anyway, so, if successful, we'll find out soon."

" **By the way, what happened to Kyoko?" Byakuya asked. "I haven't seen her anywhere…"**

" **Oh yeah. She was supposed to be checking the 2nd floor, but… I didn't see her up there at all." Hina explained.**

" **Where could she have disappeared to…?" Sakura questioned, frowning.**

"I have to agree. Where could she have gone to?" Taka questioned, holding his chin in thought.

"I hope she's okay…" Makoto murmured, more than a bit worry for his friend.

"In any case, I'm somewhat confident in my physical abilities. I didn't go through detective training for nothing." Kyoko said, hoping to dispel some of the concern for her.

Like the others, Kyoko is trying to think of where she gone. Did she find something, or someplace, that held clues, or possibly answers? Or did something else happen while she was searching?

" **She's disappeared, huh?" The heir asked rhetorically. "What a strange woman. She might be exactly as I suspected…"**

"Huh?" Was the reaction of several of them. Chihiro was the first to speak. "W-What do you mean?"

"What is it you're accusing me of, Byakuya?" Kyoko questioned, eyes narrowed.

"Didn't he hear Hina when she said that she, Sakura, Makoto, and Kyoko was at the dining hall?" Sayaka pointed out.

"Yeah. There's no way Kyoko would be Robo-Justice." Makoto stated.

The heir, however, shook his head. "No, I don't think he's talking about that."

That got some confused look. "Then what he's talking about?"

" *sigh*... isn't it obvious?"

" **H-Hold on!" Makoto protested. "Kyoko was with us in the dining hall when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked! So-"**

" **I'm not talking about who attacked them." Byakuya interrupted him.**

" **...Huh?" The luckster stared at the heir in confusion.**

" **I'm referring to what we talked about last night." Byakuya stated. "Who the mastermind's spy might be…"**

Everyone was immediately surprised by the accusation. "Are you actually thinking that Kyoko is the spy?" Leon asked in disbelief.

Byakuya sighed. "Not me personally, at least not yet, but my future self does, yes."

"But… why would he think that?!" Makoto exclaimed.

"Yeah! That shouldn't be possible!" Hina agreed with Makoto.

 **That got everyone staring at Byakuya, with Makoto's eyes widening. "Are you saying… Kyoko's with the mastermind?" His next response was immediate. "Th-That's not possible!"**

"Kyoko has been helping us with both trials, as well as looking for a way out from the school." Taka pointed out. "Why would somebody working with the mastermind do that much?"

"For the trials, it's to make sure she comes out alive." Byakuya explained easily. "After all, if the blackened is picked incorrectly, then everyone but the blackened would get executed. As for looking for a way out, who's to say she isn't hiding stuff from the rest of us while giving us only the smaller details?"

"You're only making baseless accusations now Byakuya." Kyoko interjected, finally speaking up for herself. "There's no proof that I'm doing something like that."

The heir shrugged. "I'm merely explaining why my future self could see that as a possibility. As long as its a possibility, there's room for doubt."

Kyoko reluctantly and silently agreed to his point. She couldn't exactly prove that she wasn't doing that either. But if she was the spy, what reason was there for it?

" **Isn't it?" Byakuya retorted. "This woman, who seems almost eager to handle dead bodies, hasn't even revealed her true identity."**

"And now her memory loss is coming back to bite her in the butt," Leon groaned. "Especially since she's being silent about it."

"I doubt all of us would believe her if she said that." Celeste mused. "We could easily think she's lying, so the point is moot."

"But we all did lose memories of our time at Hope's Peak..." Chihiro complained.

"Yet at the same time, all of us remembered who we were except for Kyoko." Byakuya replied.

" **Save this discussion for later." Sakura interjected before it could escalate. "Right now we need to focus on finding the suspicious individual."**

" **Yeah! If we don't hurry, there's only gonna be more victims!" Hina agreed. "That might be why Kyoko and Taka and Hiro haven't shown up yet!"**

" **Sh-She's right. We have to do something about that mystery man first…" Makoto said, trying to calm himself down.**

" **Don't worry about me. I'll catch up with you guys after I rest a bit…" Hifumi reassured them.**

"Don't stay by yourself!" Hifumi squealed in fear. "You'll be a prime target!"

"Relax, dude." Mondo groaned. "If the guy didn't go kill you before, why would he go kill you now?"

" **Understood." Celeste nodded. "Take care of yourself."**

" **Okay, let's go." With Sakura's words, the group of six stepped out of the nurse office.**

"So now they're on the hunt for a guy inside a giant robot suit." Junko said. Then, seeing that it's been a while since she's played another role, decided to get into her queen persona. "Let's see if you peasants will be able to capture the elusive Robo-Justice!"

"Is now really the time Junko?" Makoto scolded her before turning back to the screen. "But yeah. Hopefully we can get them before anyone else gets hurt."

' _Unlikely.'_ Kyoko thought to herself. Sooner or later, this Robo-Justice will attack somebody else. And most likely kill them.

Still, this whole thing is bothering her. Something isn't right about all this. But right now, she can't point her finger as to what. For now, she just have to watch and see.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Pretty hard to write, considering how complicated yet obvious this entire case is. And I haven't gotten into the murders, investigation, and trial yet. That'll be a joy. Anyway, make sure to review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Got nothing to report as of now, except I'm busy saving humanity in FGO haha. That bunny-girl senpai anime that just finished was really good though. 100% recommended. I think I'll move onto that "Many colours" magical anime next. It has a really long name so I'd rather not write the whole thing.**


	55. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 13

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. Before we begin, I would like tell you all that my first short story has been published on Amazon Kindle. It's called Adept: The Strategist Chapter, available for $0.99. It was at first $2.99, so I could get the 70% royalty, but thinking on it for a bit, considering that it was a short story (And one that will be part of a collection of shorts), I decided to decrease it to $.99.**

 **For those who want to know more about it, here's the whole plot of Adept. A whole population of people, both normal civilians and talented individuals, are trapped in a city. The founder of the city did so, in order for the two groups face off against each other. Whichever group could kill off the other group can get out of the city, as well as get whatever is held inside Adept. And the talented individuals, the adepts, are outnumbered 100 to 1.**

 **Each short will be focus on one, or a group, of characters. The first couple of shorts will be origin stories, showing how they are adapting to the city sized prison they're stuck, and how they're coping. Then next bunch of shorts will go forward with the plot, with characters either trying to find a way out, survive against the larger civilian population, or something different altogether.**

 **So, is this enough information for everyone? Too much? Too little?**

 **I hope that anyone interested, and can afford it, will try out Adept: The Strategist Chapter. And for those who will read it, I hope any expectations you have are met. Also, the first short story is only about 3,700 words. Not a long short story, but a short, short story. Pun not intended. I'm gonna try to publish a short story every one or two weeks. So, with this really long AN out of the way, let's get back to this chapter.**

 **Here, the group will see the corpses of both Hifumi AND Taka. Be prepared for some major drama. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: New Year, new semester, same me. There's not a whole lot for me to wish for in the New Years since I'm pretty content with what I have, but having a better job and income would be quite favourable for me hahaha. Here's to another year of writing fics and carrying on this story.**

Chapter 54: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 13

" **So, whoever that is running around, why are they wearing that weird costume?" Hina asked as the group gathered in a circle in the hallway.**

" **Don't bother looking for reason from a deviant." Byakuya scoffed.**

" **So? What're we gonna do?" Jill asked. "Split up and look around?"**

"That would be too dangerous." Mukuro advised with a frown. "We don't know anything about that individual's capabilities. For all we know, they may be able to match Sakura in a fight."

"That is if they're not one of us." Byakuya pointed. "Cause the only survivors able to wear that bizarre costume are Hiro and Taka, and I very much doubt they would be able to take on Sakura, of all people."

"Agreed." Taka said with a nervous nod.

"I'd run away at the thought of fighting her." Hiro admitted without shame.

 **Sakura shook her head in response. "Our opponent is very dangerous." She said. "We don't know what they're capable of. Even here…"**

 **Suddenly, Celeste stiffened and her eyes widened in alarm, something that the group noticed. "What's wrong?" Byakuya asked her.**

" **I saw a shadow!" Celeste pointed at the direction she was looking. "Something moving around at the top of the stairs!"**

Her sudden proclamation has brought everyone to the edge of their seats again.

"The hell are they waiting for?!" Mondo exclaimed. "Chase that weird fucker!"

"C'mon future me, don't let them get away!" Hina yelled in encouragement.

 **The group immediately turned to look at Celeste's pointed direction. "Really?!" Hina gasped.**

" **Up to the 2nd floor, then?" Sakura asked, eyes hardening. "You bastard! You won't get away from me!"**

"Get 'em Sakura, get 'em!" Hina continued cheering.

She was soon joined by the others. "Corner him!" Leon exclaimed.

"Don't let them hurt anyone else!" Taka stated passionately.

 **The group then shot up the stairs, with Sakura at the front. The scene switched to the group coming up the second floor. "He must be around here somewhere." Celeste said, looking around anxiously. "Let's split up and corner him!"**

" **But don't take any chances." Sakura interjected. "As soon as you find him, call out and I'll come running."**

"Good plan." Mukuro nodded in approval. "Split up to cover more ground, then call out to the others before the assailant could try anything."

"Weren't you just against this though?" Chihiro asked.

"Not when everyone is closer together now." Mukuro replied.

"And with Sakura's speed, there's no way they can hit and run before she catches them." Hina added.

Sakura nodded, her gaze fierce. "My future self will ensure that no one gets hurt on her watch."

" **Okay, but… what should we yell?" Celeste asked.**

" **Anything! It doesn't matter!" Hina responded, looking ready to go search any minute.**

" **Then… is 'haaah!' okay?"**

" **Haaah or dohyaah or whatever you want!" Hina said in slight aggravation. "Just yell loud enough so we can hear you!"**

"Seriously, what's with the questions?" Leon asked incredulously. "Like Hina said, just scream loud enough for everyone to hear you."

"Why did you feel the need to choose a specific sound?" Byakuya inquired, raising an eyebrow at the oddity.

"I'm… not sure myself." Honestly, it was odd even to her. Why did her future self felt the need to choose a specific call?

 **That earned a giggle from Celeste. "Doyhaaah? I have never heard such a reaction…"**

" **Okay, whatever! Just hurry up and start looking! Okay? Let's go!" With that, she began running in search of the disguised culprit.**

 **She was soon followed by Genocide Jack. "Hey Mister Robot! Where ya hidin'? If you don't come out, we're gonna decommission ya!"**

 **Moments, the others split off on their search for Robo Justice. "We spread in every direction to track down the costumed suspect." Narrator Makoto spoke up. Clips of each student looking in different rooms was shown. "At first, we didn't see any sign of the mysterious person. But after a few minutes of searching…**

 **The scene currently showed Makoto about to leave the classroom he was looking in when an ear-piercing scream was suddenly heard.**

The scream startled a few people, but mostly alerted everyone. "Was that Celeste…?" Sayaka asked in slight astonishment.

"No one else would've made a piercing cry like that." Mukuro stated, narrowing her eyes.

"That was quite a scream..." Hiro commented, to which for some unknown reason, he immediately felt invisible daggers around his neck.

"It must mean she saw the disguised person." Chihiro said, looking worried.

"Then the others have to get to her quickly." Sakura stated, her eyes also narrowed.

 **The scream brought Makoto into a state of alert. "That strange cry-! That had to be Celeste!" He looked towards the direction of the third floor. "It came from the floor above… she's on the third 3rd floor!" With that, he began sprinting to the third floor.**

"All the way from the third floor?" Junko whistled in amazement. "Wow. You sure got some lungs."

"Never thought I would hear you let out such an intense scream…" Byakuya remarked.

"I guess with desperate times, come desperate measures…" Celeste said in response, going with the flow.

 **The scene switched to everyone coming up to the third floor, to see a shaken looking Celeste. "Over here, everyone!" She called out.**

" **Celeste!" Hina was the first to get to her side. "What's wrong?!"**

" **That was a rather… intense scream for someone like you." Byakuya pointed out.**

 **The gambler ignored the heir. "I saw him! The strange costumed man…! He ran off as soon as I screamed…" She pointed towards the empty hallway. "I was blocking the stairs, so he headed further into the hallway and disappeared…!"**

"So he's trapped in the third floor…" Mondo grinned at this. "No fucking escape now!"

"This is their chance to capture the assailant and sees who's in the costume!" Taka agreed.

 **Everyone looked to where Celeste was pointing. "He must be down this hall! Come on, let's go!"**

 **Before they could follow Makoto's order, Jill suddenly made a sound. "Haa… haa…"**

" **What is it now?!" Hina exclaimed in exasperation.**

" **Achoo!" With that one sneeze, Genocide Jill reverted back to Toko. "H-Huh?"**

" **Whoa!" Hina's eyes widen in shock. "It's really true!" She then shook her head. "But that doesn't matter right now!"**

"Wow. You recovered quickly." Celeste said, slightly surprised.

"Of course I did! There's a mysterious weirdo that we need to catch!" Hina stated. "I can't let something like that surprise me!"

 **Before anyone could move, another scream of fear suddenly was heard. "Huh?!" Makoto whipped his head around in shock.**

The scream also startled the present group, as well as filled them with dread. "W-What was that?" Chihiro stuttered fearfully.

"That… sounded like Hifumi." Taka said, looking pale. Said fanfic creator looked as white as a sheet.

" **Wh-What was that?!" Hina questioned fearfully.**

" **That came from downstairs!" Celeste deduced, looking down the steps. "It must have been… Hifumi! He's in the nurse's office!"**

"This isn't good! This is really not good!" Hiro exclaimed, holding his head. "Did that Robo Justice guy came back for him?"

"That's impossible!" Mondo responded back. "Celeste blocked the way downstairs! There's no chance in hell it could've gotten down there!"

"What is it, then?" Hifumi squealed fearfully. "What's happening to future me?" Did someone… kill him? Did he became another victim?

"Is somebody else taking the chance to attack Hifumi?" Mukuro mused, trying to figure out what is happening. "Or is he screaming about something else?"

"I suppose we shall see." Kyoko said, her eyes focused on the screen.

" **This is bad!" Makoto moved towards the stairs. "Come on, we have to go back!"**

" **What about the suspect?" Byakuya interjected. "We've gone to all this trouble to capture him, right?"**

" **Then why don't we split into two groups?" Celeste suggested.**

" **I'll lead the hunting party." Byakuya volunteered. "That seems much more interesting."**

" **Very well, then Makoto and Hina, you come with me to the nurse's office." Celeste requested. "I will leave the capture of the suspicious individual to Toko, Sakura, and Byakuya."**

 **Sakura nodded. "We'll handle it. Just go take care of Hifumi."**

" **Okay! You guys be careful!" Makoto told them before following Hina and Celeste. Sakura, Byakuya, and Toko went the opposite direction.**

Everyone tensed up. They had a feeling they're about to see something bad. And very few are looking forward to it.

Toko, having an idea about what's going to happen, quickly covered her eyes. She is not going to faint this time!

 **The next scene switched to Hina, Makoto, and Celeste quickly coming down the stairs. "He's in the nurse's office! Let's go!" He then run full speed to the nurse office, with Makoto and Celeste right behind her.**

 **The narrator Makoto spoke as the three got to the office. "We stormed into the nurse's office, and what greeted us was…" When the three burst inside, they all stopped, shock, and slowly horror, entering their faces. "...a world of dripping crimson."**

 **In the middle of the nurse's office was Hifumi, blood splattered under him and dripping from his head, and large hammer right beside him. "Everything was covered in red." Narrator Makoto continued. "And in the center of all this read was…"**

" **H-Hifumi?" The actual Makoto stuttered out in shock.**

Once again, a horrific tone filled the air. Yet again, another of their classmates was taken, this time being Hifumi. Someone their future selves just interacted with moments ago.

"I… I'm… I'm…" Hifumi tried to speak, but his throat was clogged up. His eyes were incredibly wide, and the color of his skin wasn't going to return anytime soon. When he heard his future self scream, he was prepared for the worst, but… it didn't prepare him to see his corpse.

"Hifumi's… dead?" Hina's eyes were wide with horror, not wanting to believe what she's seeing. Another classmate is dead. Another of her friends is dead. The urge to scream was building up in her throat, but the scream was kept lodged inside.

Celeste herself wasn't able to hide her emotions. The shock and horror was shown in her eyes, and her face was filled with anguish. Hifumi's… dead? But, why? Who? Unknowingly, tears slowly formed in her eyes.

"That's a lot of blood..." Mukuro commented quietly.

"Dammit!" Mondo growled, his head bowed. "How the hell?!"

"Who killed him?" Sakura questioned, clenching her fist. "And why?"

"That's is something we will need to find out." Byakuya said grimly. "In the next class trial."

All of them stiffened. Another trial. They all have to watch another trial! Watch someone else get executed!

Makoto was especially affected by this thought. Anguish, grief, shock, and frustration built up in his eyes. This is the third time this happened. The third murder. And a soon to be the third class trial. Is this gonna keep happening? His classmates are going to keep murdering each other until no one is left? Is that the fate they're watching?

Those thoughts were also festering Chihiro. The petite programmer hugged himself as he shook in distress. Despite seeing his own death, despite seeing Mondo executed for killing him, it still hurts so much to see another friend dead. Still hurts to know that they'll be another trial, another search for the killer, another execution they'll have to watch.

Junko stared at the supposed corpse before analyst mind quickly figured out that Hifumi is playing dead. She held back a giggle of excitement. Things have gotten very interesting indeed! These idiots didn't even realize that there's no body discovery announcement! Man, what does Celeste and Hifumi have planned next?

 **Hina let out a horrified scream, covering her mouth, while Celeste looked at all this in shock. "I-Its looks like something… very bad has happened…"**

"'Something very bad has happened'?" Leon repeated, a look of disbelief. "Yeah, something really bad has definitely happened!"

"Are you even trying to take this seriously Celeste?!" Sayaka exclaimed, giving an incredulous look at the girl.

"I- I just- she-" For a moment, she honestly didn't know what to say. The shock of Hifumi's death, and the fact she felt so much in the first place, was getting to her. But after that moment passed, she took a deep breath, and spoke more calmly. "She probably didn't know what else to say. My intention wasn't to make light of it, I assure you."

Makoto turned to Celeste, as well as Hifumi, in concern. He can tell that the future Hifumi's death is affecting them badly. Celeste is trying to hide as best she could, but you wouldn't need to be Kyoko to know that seeing Hifumi dead is at least shocking to her.

" **I certainly not expecting this." She continued as she gazed at the corpse. "I did not imagine Hifumi… would be murdered!"**

Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the murder scene, looking at the hammer beside the now late Hifumi. It's no doubt that's another Justice Hammer, bigger than the last two. But how did Robo Justice get to the first floor? Celeste had claimed that she blocked the way. And that's not mention the speed needed to get there after Celeste called out to everyone. With all those factors, it should be impossible.

" **M-Murdered?!" Hina exclaimed, her skin turning pale. "You're not serious, are you?! He's not really dead, is he?!"**

 **As if to answer questions, the school bell rung and the school monitor turned on. "A body has been discovered!" Monokuma announced. "After a certain amount of time, which you may use however you like, the class trial will begin!" With that, the monitor turned off.**

If there was any lingering doubts, it was washed away right there and then. Hifumi is yet another victim of the killing game. Skins were paled, heads were bowed, teeths were clenched in frustration.

Hifumi could looked down on the ground, his brain barely keeping up. He's dead. The third victim of this sick game. Honestly, deep down, he had a feeling that he was going to be killed at some point. After all, he could pointed out as an easier target. But he refuse to think of that possibility. Now… he has no choice but to face it.

Junko, however, blinked for a moment, her face blank as she process the new information. ' _Did… someone else kill somebody while they were there? Or rather…'_ A wicked idea entered her head. ' _Did Hifumi or Celeste kill someone before all of this happened?'_ If so, she wants it to be their personal hall monitor that went under. That would bring more despair than that stupid fortune teller. Whatever the case, it seems everything is already set in motion.

" **What the…?" Hina looked at the monitor in shock.**

" **That was… the body discovery announcement." Celeste said gravely.**

' _ **The body discovery announcement…'**_ **Makoto could only stare at Hifumi's corpse.** ' _ **When three or more people discover a body after a murder, that's what plays. And since we just heard it, that means…'**_

" **Someone killed him. One of us…" Celeste unknowingly finished Makoto's thoughts.**

" **One of… us?" Makoto repeated, his voice sounding numb.**

" **And look at that…" The gambler then pointed at something on the ground, to which Makoto turned towards.**

 **The thing she was pointing was none other than another Justice Hammer, this time bigger and with a three on the middle of the hammer.** ' _ **Another hammer…'**_ **He then bent down towards the hammer.** ' _ **Justice Hammer 3. And it's even bigger than the other two…!'**_

The group could only stare in shock at the hammer. "But… that's impossible!" Sakura protested. "We had Robo Justice cornered! There was no way it could've escape!"

"And Celeste spotted him right before everyone else gone up to the third floor!" Taka added. "Even if it were to somehow pass the group, or find another way down, there's no way they could've done it so quickly. Especially since the disguise doesn't seem to be built for mobility."

"Something doesn't add up…" Leon muttered, confused as hell.

Kyoko and Celeste silently agreed, although neither of them could pinpoint what was bothering them. Mukuro was also skeptical, but for her own reasons rather than the turn of events. She was inexperienced with that kind of stuff, and it was much better to leave it to those who were more knowledgeable.

" **Just as I suspected. One strike from that, and you are finished…" Celeste stated with conviction.**

" **Then the killer…"**

 **The gambler nodded. "There can be no doubt. The culprit must be the suspicious individual. This Robo Justice." She declared. "Whoever's hiding in that costume is the one that killed Hifumi!"**

"But who? And how?" Mukuro questioned, frowning in thought.

"I can't answer the how, but I have an idea on who." Byakuya spoke up. "Two ideas, actually. The only ones who either weren't in the dining hall beforehand, or was gathered during the search for this Robo Justice."

"...Taka and Hiro." Sakura said grimly. The two mentioned students had their eyes wide with shock and panic, especially when other eyes turned towards them.

Hifumi, who was snapping out of it stun state, turned to Taka with a growl. "You did it, didn't you Mr. Ishimaru?!"

"WHAT?!" Taka exclaimed. "What's with the accusation?!"

"Your future self is my future self's rival!" The fanfic creator stated angrily. "I bet he would stoop as low as to kill me to get Alter Ego for himself!"

"No! I wouldn't ever do something so heinous!"

"Don't go fucking accusing my bro of murder like that!" Mondo spat out angrily. "It could easily be Hiro!"

"Hey! Don't throw me under the bus like that!" Hiro protested. "I wouldn't kill anybody either!"

"Like hell you-"

"Enough." Kyoko spoke up sharply and clearly annoyed, stopping the argument. "Arguing and accusing each other is a waste of time. The only thing we can do is watch and gather evidence."'

That got them to quiet down, though Hifumi was glaring at Taka angrily and suspiciously. Mondo matched with his own glare, but for once, the fanfic creator wasn't fazed.

Taka looked down. Sure, his future self is a bit zealous about Alter Ego, but surely he wouldn't kill somebody for it. He wouldn't kill Hifumi just to have the computer to himself… right?

" **But… wait…" Makoto looked at Celeste in confusion. "You saw him on the 3rd floor, right? Running back into the hall. So how did he end up in the nurse's office? You're not saying they, like, teleported or something, right?"**

"Is there some sort of secret entrance they've find or know about?" Chihiro asked, trying to figure it out. "Another way down the first floor?"

"If there was, they would've found it by now." Byakuya retorted. "A more realistic possibility is that more than one person is doing this."

"That would be assuming that both Taka and Hiro are working together," Mukuro pointed out. "Or that Monokuma is helping one of them."

"But we don't have any concrete proof any of those things." Kyoko interjected, before the discussion could escalate into something else. "So we'll have to figure this out later, once we gain more information."

"Yeah… good point." Makoto agreed on.

" **We can figure out that part later. Right now, we have to tell the others." Celeste stated.**

" **Y-You're right." Makoto shakily nodded.**

" **Then shall we go?"**

 **Hina, however, didn't say or do anything. Just stood there, completely paralyzed, a petrified look on her face.**

The expression on Hina's face caused many hearts to clench. "Looks like this entire game is getting to her." Sayaka murmured in worry.

"Yeah…" Hina said, biting her lip. "Honestly, I'm close to joining her." It's only because it's only a possible future, and not the real thing, that's keeping her grounded.

" **Hina… snap out of it." The gambler told her.**

" **...Huh?" Was all the swimmer could say.**

 **Makoto walked over to Hina in concern. "Are you okay, Hina?"**

" **S-Sorry… I'm not sure I can move right now…" She admitted, the look on her face not leaving. "I-I'm feeling kinda…" She covered her mouth, as if something was about to come up her throat.**

"Hina…" Sakura murmured worriedly. Like Sayaka said, the events of the killing game were definitely getting to Hina. She wondered how much more she could take, or… if she would eventually break from all this. Hopefully, she won't have to find out.

Makoto, as well as Chihiro, was also staring at Hina, though theirs was of sympathetic understanding. Out of the whole class, all three of them are the most empathetic, so they can guess what's going through her head. Both the present and future Hina.

" **This is a problem." Celeste mused, staring at Hina in concern. "We can't just leave Hina here alone."**

" **Okay, then I'll go get everyone." Makoto volunteered. "You stay here with Hina!"**

 **Celeste was silent for a moment before sighing in agreement. "Very well. I leave it to you, then."**

" **Okay! I'll be back soon!" Trying to sound confident and upbeat, Makoto ran out of the nurse's office. As he ran out, the camera moved to show the luckster trembling.**

Now stares of concern and sympathy, along with a bit of respect, was on Makoto. The luckster turned his eyes from everyone. "Man... It just seems to get worse and worse."

"You're doing better than me though." Hina told him, rubbing the back of her head. "I can't even move right now."

"She's right. You are doing better than expected." Kyoko told him. Despite seeing a third murder, Makoto was still moving. Still doing his best to help out. That is something to admire.

"Speaking of doing better than expected, anyone else noticed that Toko is still conscious?" Junko pointed out.

In a spur of curiosity, everyone turned around and sure enough, the writer was still standing, trembling and with both hands covering her eyes. "You can open your eyes, Toko. It's safe too." Makoto reassured the girl.

That got her to open her eyes with a sigh of relief. "G-Good. I'm s-still conscious."

 **As he got into the hallway, Makoto stopped for a moment and slapped his face with both hands a few times.** ' _ **Everyone else is on the 3rd floor. I have to hurry…!'**_ **With that, he began running up to the third floor.**

 **Once he was up, he looked around to see where the others would be at.** ' _ **Okay. This is where everyone else started chasing the suspicious individual.'**_ **Makoto thought in remembrance.** ' _ **Where was he headed…?'**_

 **He thought back to when they first got up here, what Celeste had said.** ' _ **He ran off, going further down the hallway…'**_ **He looked towards the farther part of the hallway.** ' _ **Way into the back… of the hallway?'**_

"That would mean they're at the physics lab." Mukuro mused.

"Agreed." Byakuya nodded in agreement. "But if Robo Justice was somehow able to get down to the first floor, and kill Hifumi, what are they still doing there?"

"What do you mean?" Celeste asked, finally speaking up.

"The body announcement was played. And since there isn't anything holding them up, they would've went to the nurse office." Byakuya explained. "After all, they heard Hifumi screaming, so they would add those things together and figure out what had happened."

"Yeah, that's a good point." Taka agreed, frowning. "What are they doing?"

"Perhap they found something else? Something that's holding them up?" Sakura suggested.

"I think we're about to find out that answer soon." Junko told them, pointing at the TV. "Makoto is about to get into the physics lab." Inwardly, she was giddy with excitement. Their reactions are going to be good!

 **The scene cut to Makoto in the physics lab, looking around for anybody.** ' _ **As far as I can tell, there's nobody here.'**_ **He observed.** ' _ **But…'**_ **He then noticed the closet door at the back fully opened.**

"The back room." Sakura narrowed her eyes at the room. "We must've missed something. Or someone."

"Maybe it was the person Celeste saw." Sayaka noted. "After all, we can't say for sure that it was Robo Justice. Maybe Celeste thought she saw him, and it was actually somebody else."

"Perhaps." Byakuya thought of the possibility. "We shall see soon enough."

' _ **They gotta be in the back!'**_ **With that, Makoto ran towards the back.**

 **As he did, narrator Makoto spoke. "I leapt through the doorway. And when I did, I found…" When Makoto was right in the closest, he froze in shock. "...another nightmare."**

 **The camera expanded to reveal Taka, laying on the floor, a large amount of blood dripping from his head. "There, in a pool of his own blood… was Taka, dead." The screen then turned black.**

It took a minute for everyone to process what they're seeing. To process that they're seeing a second murder in this chapter, minutes after the previous one. But when they did…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" This time, Hina's scream was not held back.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Leon shouted in shock.

"T-Taka!?" Chihiro exclaimed, covering his mouth in horror.

"T-Two?!" Hiro yelled in absolute panic. "Two murders?!"

This time, Toko did faint, unable to cover her eyes in time.

Makoto could only stare dumbly at the scene. Was this a trick? Some sick joke? Some sort of statement to say that his optimism in his friends is blind and stupid? A nightmare about two of his friends dead? Murdered?

 _Two_ people. Hifumi and Taka. One of whom was beginning to move on from Mondo's death. Why? Why did they deserve to die? Why did any of his friends deserve to die in this demented game?

Taka himself was staring at his corpse, shock, anguish, frustration, and sorrow swimming in his eyes. Not just one, but two people are dead. Worst of it is that it was his future self that's dead.

Just when he finally began to recover. Just when he was able to live on for his best friend. All that progress, and it was taken away by a blow to the head. ' _Dammit…'_ Taka clenched his fists and closed his eyes, tears stinging in his eyes. ' _Dammit!'_

Mondo stared at the screen, his limbs limp and his eyes wide in pure shock. His mind was slowly processing that this was his best friend, his _bro_ , on the floor, dead. "B-Bro…?"

Eyes slowly turned to the biker, some worried and others wary. They could tell that Mondo's in shock at the moment, but when he gets out of that shock, his temper is going to be unleashed.

 **(Chapter 3 - A Next Generation Legend! Stand Tall Galactic Hero! - Deadly Life)**

 **The scene faded back into the nurse's office with Hifumi's body once again. "Hifum's body, in the nurse office…" Narrator Makoto said.**

 **Then the scene quickly transitioned to Taka's body right after. "Taka's body, discovered in the equipment. I was born witness to two nightmares, one right after another."**

"Who…?" Everyone's eyes turned to Mondo, who whispered that one word. "Who did it?"

The tone he used sent chills down several spine's. They were used to hearing Mondo angry, thanks to his trigger hair temper. None of them was used to this pure, venomous fury he's leaking out. But they all knew that it was only the beginning of his anger.

"M-Mondo-" Makoto spoke up, attempting to calm him down.

But the biker ignored him. "Who the fuck killed my bro?" He spoke, his voice slowly rising. "Who? Who decided to bash him in the head? Who fucking murder him?! WHICH ONE OF YOU FUCKERS ARE THE GODDAMN BLACKENED?!" By now, Mondo was standing up, glaring furiously at everyone.

"Mondo, wait!" Despite the fear he's feeling, Makoto stood up to face the biker. "You need to ca-"

"THE FUCK WITH THAT! SOMEONE KILLED MY BRO! SOMEONE FUCKING MURDERED HIM!" Mondo spat out. "WHOEVER DID IS GONNA WISH THEY-"

"MONDO, YOU'RE FRIGHTENING CHIHIRO!"

THAT gave the biker pause. Slowly, he turned Chihiro. And sure enough, the programmer was white as a sheet, curled into a ball, shaking, and tears of fear and anguish poured down eyes.

It didn't calm his anger, not enough at least. But guilt got mixed with the anger. Slowly, his arms went limp and he sat back down on the couch. The movement caused Chihiro to flinch, making Mondo feel guiltier. His arm twitched for a moment, wanting to put a reassuring on his shoulder, but he stopped himself.

Makoto sighed in relief and sat down, glad that he stopped a volcano from erupting momentarily. Though he has a feeling that's only momentarily. Hopefully, he's gets enough time to calm down.

" **Wait, no…" The narrator redirected. "They weren't nightmares. It was… harsh reality. The reality I have to face every day."**

Like always, Makoto's word struck a chord in several hearts. Chapter by chapter, they have to see worse and worse. First, an attempted murder and framing, only for it to backfire. Then, a surge of jealousy and anger, causing someone to murder a friend. Now, two murders, in one chapter.

' _Why…?'_ Was the thought that came into Hina's mind. The girl was frozen in shock, looking as petrified as her future self. ' _Why… are doing this? What did we do… to deserve this? Why us…?'_

" **Why…" The present Makoto went limp, falling on his knees. "Is this happening?" The two present and conscious, Sakura and Byakuya, were silent.**

 **Makoto slowly looked around the room, only for his eyes to zoom on Toko, who's unconscious. "Toko!"**

" **Relax. She just passed out when she saw the blood." Byakuya informed him.**

" **The blood…?"** ' _ **Oh, that's right.'**_ **Makoto remembered.** ' _ **When Toko is, um, Toko… she has a fear of blood, huh?'**_

" **We've tried everything to get her to wake up, but no luck." The heir continued. "Just leave her be for now."**

 **Makoto absently nodded before turning to the next thing.** ' _ **Another hammer…'**_ **Slowly, he got up and walked over to that hammer.** ' _ **Now it's Justice Hammer 4, and it's even bigger than before…!'**_

That had several eyes widen in shock. "Did Robo Justice got Taka too?!" Junko asked.

"But, how?!" Sayaka exclaimed.

"Didn't they just murder Hifumi?" Leon pointed out. "So how and where did they get the time to kill Taka?!"

"Yeah! It should be impossible!" Hiro agreed.

"This… is getting more and more bizarre." Celeste murmured loudly.

Kyoko, however, didn't come to that conclusion. ' _A slight manipulation of the crime…'_ Kyoko deduced. ' _Making it look like Hifumi was killed first, then Taka.'_ She didn't voice that yet, however. She has a feeling more will come, so she will save her deductions for the trial.

' _ **Is that 'suspicious individual' responsible for killing Taka, too…?!'**_

During all this, Hifumi was silent, merely staring at the screen with wide eyes. He was sure that Mr. Ishimaru was the one who killed him. That he did just to keep Alter Ego for himself. But, seeing this... it throws that accusation out the window.

" **But… why is it Justice Hammer 4?" Sakura questioned.**

" **Huh?" Makoto turned to Sakura in confusion. "What do you mean?"**

Some of the others also looked confuse before remembering that Sakura and Byakuya didn't see Hifumi. "They are in for quite a shock…" Byakuya sighed.

"Agreed." Sakura nodded.

" **Celeste was attacked with Justice Hammer 1, then Hifumi was hit with Justice Hammer 2." Sakura explained. "But this time it was Justice Hammer 4. What happened to number 3?"**

" **Ah-!" Makoto's eyes lit up, remembering why he's here.**

 **It was something Sakura and Byakuya noticed. "...What's the matter?" The latter asked.**

" **W-Well, when you mentioned Justice Hammer 3, you just reminded me…"**

" **Out with it." The heir ordered. "Do you know something?"**

" **Actually… Taka's not the only one that's been killed." Makoto revealed. "Hifumi's dead, too!"**

" **Wh…?!" Sakura's eyes widen in shock. "Hifumi's been killed?!"**

" **Y-Yeah…" Makoto confirmed with a nod.**

" **Which is why you came to get us…" Byakuya concluded. "Then we'd better go check it out."**

" **Of course!" Sakura agreed. "Come on!" With that, Makoto, Sakura, and Byakuya rushed out of the physic lab.**

 **The next scene showed the three coming out. But as soon as they did, they were met with a surprised Celeste. "Ah-!"**

"Celeste?" Eyebrows rose up in surprise as Makoto continued speaking. "I thought she was waiting with Hina."

"Indeed. What is doing up in the third floor?" Sakura questioned.

" **Celeste?" Makoto looked at her in surprise. "Aren't you supposed to be waiting in the nurse's office?"**

" **S-Something has… come up." Celeste said, looking distressed.**

"Now what?" Leon complained. "What, did the body disappear or something?"

"I doubt it's something that bizarre." Celeste shook her head.

" **Yeah, I heard. Hifumi is dead, right?" Byakuya stated.**

" **Well… that is not all." The gambler said. "It is… gone."**

Blood ran cold at that. "What's gone…?" Sayaka hesitantly asked.

"Oh, please don't tell me…" Leon trailed off.

" **Huh? What's gone?" Makoto asked, confused.**

" **It has disappeared…"**

" **Disappeared…?"**

" **Hifumi's body has disappeared!"**

Everyone was barely holding onto their seats right now. "WHAT?!" Hina shouted, out of her frozen state.

"I WAS KIDDING!" Leon yelled right after.

"My body is gone?!" Hifumi exclaimed, flabbergasted and fearful.

"Is she actually serious, right now?" Byakuya questioned, having a difficult time believing it.

" **What…?" Was the only thing Makoto could say, staring at Celeste in shock.**

" **What are you talking about? It's disappeared?" Byakuya questioned, looking at her in bewilderment. "Don't be ridiculous." Celeste could only give him a serious look. "...Are you serious?"**

" **What the heck is happening here…?!" Sakura questioned, looking even more confused. "Everyone, back to the nurse's office!" She ordered, to which everyone was running once again.**

The group could only watch as the future Makoto, Byakuya, Sakura, and Celeste ran back downstairs. One thing came to all of their heads. The same question Sakura just asked.

What the HELL is going on here?!

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and that the reactions are well done, not repetitive or out of character. I also hope I got enough reactions from the main victims, Hifumi and Taka, as well as those involved with them, Celeste and Mondo. And again, I hope you guys take the time to read my short story, Adept: The Strategist Chapter. Available for $0.99. If/When you do read it, I ask that you don't be too harsh if there's anything to criticize. It's my first original story, after all.**

 **Well, that's all. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**


	56. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 14

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, in this chapter, the group will see bodies go missing, survivors go searching, before getting emotional. Very emotional.**

 **Before we begin, I would like to discuss my short story series, Adept. So, I realized that I rushed the first short I made, wanting to publish it as soon as possible. So to rectify that, I decided to rewrite it (Which makes me glad no one had bought it yet). I can't make it free due to Amazon restrictions, but I made a 5 day promotion for it so everyone can have a cheap sample of my work. After the five days are over, it will still be available for 99 cents, and I'll also be selling the rest of my short stories for same price.**

 **You can find the story here: www . amazon . com** **dp/B07MP8DL5B (The 5 day promotion will start on Feb 9th, and end Feb 13th). I'll also put the link on my profile here.**

 **I understand that all of you came here to read Class 78th Watches the Future (Otherwise, there would be no point coming here). But I would appreciate it if you help support it by at least reading the first short and/or telling the others about it. I still plan on writing fanfics, and I'm not planning to stop anytime soon, but I would also like to become an actual author. Write original short stories and books. So I appreciate any support you're able to give me.**

 **That's all. Hope I'm not annoying with these notes. Or acting pushy in anyway. So, with that out of the way, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldiers: Heyoo readers. Its been a bit since the last chapter but update is finally out! Anyways, even with this update out, I've suffered a soul-crushing punch to the face the other day as I lost my 375 day login streak on FGO due to school T_T Its scary to think that I've been to the pits of despair and back so many times and every time I go back, the pit gets deeper... *cries*. Anyways, a couple short questions this time around:**

 **Q: You mentioned there will be no bonus scenes, does that include the cut content like the survivor's executions as well?  
L: Yup. I don't think Spirit wants to do anything that deviates from the main story.  
S: That's correct. Want it to keep canon as much as possible.**

 **Q:** **Junko's own final moments ended with her basically feeling "empty" at the end of it all; is seeing how all this ultimately built up to her own end being an anticlimax going to finally give her that ultimate despair she was looking for, or might it convince her to go back to the drawing board (thereby preventing the killing games from taking place) once she has the big payoff (or lack thereof for her) spoiled for her? Hell, will it have any impact at all?**  
 **L: I'm not sure where Spirit is deciding to take this so I'll let him answer this:**  
 **S: I can't say anything sure for sure. One, it can be spoilerish. And two, Junko is an unpredictable psychopath. Her emotions can vary from a wide range. So it'll be a bridge to be cross when we get to chapter 6.**

Chapter 55: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 14

 **The next scene showed Makoto practically leaping down the stairs before running into the nurse's office, with Sakura, Byakuya, and Celeste right behind him. He froze as he pushed open the door.**

 **He looked left and right and found that everything was still where it was, except for one thing:**

 **Hifumi's body.**

If any of them didn't believe Celeste's words before, there was no choice but to believe it now, especially since they're seeing it with their own eyes.

"What the hell?! What's going on here?" Byakuya cursed, starting to look a bit rattled.

"What… what did they do to my body?!" Hifumi shouted, his stomach churning very uncomfortably at the thoughts coming into his head.

"This shit's getting crazier by the second!" Leon cursed.

Hina just stared numbly at the screen as she shook from fear.

Not even Kyoko and Mukuro were immune to the surprise. The two of them were both bewildered at how fast Hifumi's body has disappeared. Makoto was gone for only a few minutes… so how was the culprit able to take the body without anyone noticing?

' _ **But… Hifumi's body was there just a few minutes ago.'**_ **Makoto thought in shock before speaking out loud. "It just… disappeared?"**

 **The camera moved to Hina, who was still in shock. Perhaps even more so. "Me and Celeste were in the bathroom…" Hina numbly explained. "But we were only gone for like a minute! And then, when we got back…"**

" **This must be the work of the culprit." Celeste declared. "They must have came and carried the body away."**

"But how?!" Sayaka questioned shrilly, one step close to panicking. "It shouldn't be possible to carry a body out of the nurse office, without anyone noticing, in under a minute!"

"Especially one of Hifumi's weight." Celeste said, frowning.

"This is unnatural." Byakuya stated, a bewildered frown on his face. "Two murders, and then one of the bodies disappearing? All in the span of a few minutes?"

"Can this guy teleport or something, like Makoto said?!" Hiro questioned, holding his head as he tried process what he's seeing.

"Impossible. The only explanation is that someone moved the body." Kyoko replied. ' _Unless...'_

" **They must really be enjoying this… enjoying the sight of us standing around, frightened and confused." Celeste clenched her fist, holding them to her chest. "We're all going to die here. We're going to die, just like those guys died…"**

' _Huh?'_ Kyoko perked up at this, staring at the screen with quickly concealed confusion and suspicion. Did she heard right?

Before she could think more on it, however, Hina got her attention. "We're gonna die… we're all gonna die…" The swimmer said, her voice sounding distant.

That got everyone's attention, and worry. "Hina…?" Sakura spoke softly, looking at her friend in concern.

But the girl didn't respond. "We're gonna die. We'll all be murdered. Executed. Slaughtered!" By now, everyone can tell she was panicking. She wrapped her arms around herself, breathing erratically. "This is our future! There's no escape for any of us!"

"Hina!" The swimmer was broken out of her panic filled trance by Sakura and Makoto, the latter having rush over and kneeled beside her. Both of them placed one of their hands on her shoulders. Makoto spoke up for the both of them. "Please, calm down. Breathe."

Slowly, the swimmer did as they wanted, and took some calming breaths. She's still rattled beyond relief, but she isn't going to go in another panic-filled rant.

Makoto looked at Sakura, silently asking if she can handle this. When the martial artist nodded, he hesitantly got up, giving Hina a comforting squeeze on the shoulder before getting back to his couch.

" **I don't believe this." Byakuya said, bewildered. "I can't believe a body would just… disappear." He frowned in thought. "First there were two murders, and now one of the bodies has been taken? This is… unnatural."**

" **H-Hold on!" Hina spoke up, finally breaking out of her frozen state. "What do you mean, TWO murders?!"**

More than a couple of eyes widen again at this. "Oh shit…" Leon cursed, grimacing. "She doesn't know."

"She isn't going to react well…" Makoto said, biting his lip in worry.

" **Taka's been killed. We found him in the equipment room." Sakura said softly.**

 **That caused Hina to turn pale. "I-It can't be! Taka, too?! It can't be… it can't be…" Suddenly, she screamed. "NooooooOOOOOOO!"**

" **Hina, calm down!" Sakura urged her friend.**

 **But the swimmer didn't listen. "We're all gonna die… all of us… they're gonna kill all of us!" She panicked, breathing frantically.**

Sayaka couldn't help but feel the same thing, and she felt disgusted at how weak she was. This entire thing is taking a toll on her mind, even with her death having come and gone. The second and third motives, the tension around everyone, the murder of Chihiro and execution of Mondo…

Now, it's the murder of both Hifumi AND Taka, with someone running around with hammers and a robot suit, and now Hifumi's missing body. And they haven't even gotten close to the trial yet. She almost started to think that she was lucky that her future self didn't have to go through this.

" **Then who might the next target be?" Was the question that came from Byakuya's mouth. "Toko?"**

" **Huh…?" Makoto said, before his eyes widen in realization.**

Several other eyes widen at this. "Fuck!" Leon cursed. "They completely forgot about Toko!"

"Damn it!" Sakura growled, angry with herself. How could she forget about her own classmate?!

"They need to get back there!" Hina exclaimed, panic and desperation etched into her voice. "The killer might come after her!"

" **I completely forgot!" Sakura stated, eyes widening. "She's still unconscious in the equipment room!"**

" **You left her at the scene of the crime?!" Celeste questioned in shock.**

" **We didn't have a choice." Byakuya responded. "She passed out, and she refused to wake up."**

" **So she is still unconscious?" Celeste inquired.**

 **Before Sakura could answer, a sudden realization struck her. "Wait, so you knew she was still up there, and said nothing?" Sakura turned towards the Togami heir. "Why…?!"**

"Yeah, why?!" Sayaka turned towards Byakuya with a glare. "If you had just reminded her, she could've easily carried Toko with them!"

"I'll… let my future self answer." Byakuya sighed, having two good guesses as to why his future self did what he did.

" **That annoying little insect that clings to me wherever I go…" Byakuya said cruelly, a smirk on his face. "We'd be better off without her."**

Naturally, that angered several. "You son of a bitch!" Mondo growled, trying hard to keep his barely controlled anger at bay. "You want her to die?!"

"I get that she's annoying, but that's no reason to just leave her there!" Leon stated angrily.

"How could you be THIS cruel to Toko?!" Hina demanded, a fierce glare aimed at him. Sayaka held the same glare as Hina, with Makoto holding her hand in order to keep her from harming him.

Sakura's own features darken. "Byakuya…" She slightly growled. "Be grateful that I know you've changed, and that you're not your future self anymore. Otherwise…"

Byakuya gave no outward reaction towards the implied threat, but indeed, he is grateful that he had changed for the better. While he still thinks of Toko and Jack as an annoyance, he does not wish her death.

"Look, let's all calm down." Kyoko said, hoping to alleviate the situation.

" **Y-You bastard!" Sakura growled, her features darkening.**

" **Calm down. You forgot about her too, didn't you?" Byakuya retorted calmly, not fazed by her anger. "You have no right to blame me."**

" **Everyone stop fighting!" Makoto shouted, getting everyone's attention. "Right now we need to hurry back!"**

" **I can't take this anymore… I don't want anyone else to die!" Hina said, looking and sounding traumatized.**

" **Byakuya…" Sakura growled at the heir fiercely. "If something's happened to Toko, I'll never forgive you!"**

 **Her only reply was a disinterest "Hmph" before the group began running up the stairs.**

The tense looks from some of his fellow classmates confused Byakuya. Did they forget about the new rule Monokuma, about two murders only being allowed?

Though not all of them seemed to have forgotten. Kyoko, Mukuro, and Celeste seem to have remembered.

 **The scene then switched to the five student group running into the physics lab and towards the equipment room. When they got there, Makoto immediately set his eyes to the still unconscious Toko.** ' _ **Toko!'**_ **Quickly, he knelt down and checked to see if she's okay. "Thank God you're okay." Makoto said as he let out a breath of relief.**

Immediately, everyone loosened up as Makoto confirmed Toko's safety. "Look like they made it in time." Sayaka said, a small smile of relief.

However, that small bit of relief was soon taken at the next scene…

 **However, the look of relief turned confusion as he looked up. And quickly, it morphed into shock and horror once again.**

 **Because once again, another body has disappeared, the one being Taka's.**

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Mondo shouted, rage and disbelief combined in his tone.

"They got Taka too?!" Makoto exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

"No way… no way this is happening…" Sayaka breathed incredulously.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Leon shouted.

Taka could only stare at the screen in shock, confusion, and trepidation. "What… what are they doing to my body?!" Taka questioned, trying to figure out _why_ they would take his corpse.

"Th-This isn't possible…" Byakuya stuttered, looking a bit more rattled. "Like before, they were only gone for a mere few minutes! So how? And why?"

"This is bizarre indeed…" Kyoko murmured, frowning in thought. Something tells her that she would have to wait for the investigation before putting the puzzle pieces together.

 **The others also stared at the bloody puddle in shock, especially Byakuya and Sakura. "This can't be happening…" The heir murmured in disbelief.**

" **Are we hallucinating all this or something?" Sakura questioned, looking tenser than before.**

" **No…" Makoto shook his head at the claim. "It's not a hallucination." Makoto stared at the puddle of blood, where Taka's body was previously at.** ' _ **I know I saw it before. And what I'm seeing now… isn't what I saw before.'**_

Chihiro felt himself curl up once more, fear and confusion plain in his tear-filled eyes. Fear for his friends, the remaining survivors in this look of the future. And confusion for everything that's happening. Why? Why kill two people? Why take their bodies? What's the point in all this?

"I really wish this an illusion right now…" Hiro stated, looking panicked and confused. "Cause I don't know what's going on!"

"For sure man..." Leon muttered. This is getting way too confusing.

" **Wh-What?!" Hina's exclaimed, staring at the puddle of blood. "Are you saying… Taka disappeared, too?!"**

" **Stop saying 'disappeared'." Byakuya slightly growled, forcing himself out of shock. "It didn't just vanish into thin air. Obviously whoever did this has hidden the body."**

" **But… why would they do that?" Makoto asked as he got up from the floor.**

" **I couldn't' even possibly begin to imagine." Byakuya said, his teeth clenched.**

"What benefits do the killer get by moving the bodies?" The present heir asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "Are they trying to sow confusion? Remove some sort of evidence? Rattle us?"

"Right now, it's hard to say." Kyoko answered, looking in thought herself. "All we can do is wait till our future selves find the bodies, and begin the investigation."

" **Anyway, our costumed suspect is clearly continuing his crime spree." Celeste interjected.**

" **We gotta hurry up and catch him, before he kills ALL of us!" Hina exclaimed in fear.**

 **Byakuya, however, interjected at that. "Oh, I don't think you have to worry about that." He stated.**

That earned several confused "Huh?" from several students as they turned to Byakuya. "What are you talking about?" Hina asked.

In response, Byakuya facepalmed. "Did you honestly forget the last rule Monokuma placed?" He grumbled, extremely annoyed. "God, I really am surrounded by imbeciles."

That some of the students angered. But some of the others, such as Makoto, Chihiro, and Sayaka, remembered what Byakuya was talking about.

"You're talking about the only two murder rule, right?" The luckster said, now remembering the rule.

The heir nodded. "Yes. I'm glad some of you decided to use your brain cells." He sighed. "The rule states that the killer could do two murders. And since two people are dead, that means no one else will die."

That had several relaxing, with some looking mildly embarrassed. "How the fuck did we forget about that…?" Mondo groaned.

"Guess we got too caught up with everything…" Leon said sheepishly.

" **Huh…?" Hina said in response, looking at Byakuya in surprise and confusion.**

" **Think about it…" Byakuya continued. "Who could possibly be responsible for killing and hiding these dead bodies?"**

" **U-Umm…"**

" **When Hifumi's death cry went up, everyone here was together on the 3rd floor." Byakuya began.**

" **After that, we split up into two groups." Celeste spoke up.**

" **And now this time, you all came here as a group from the nurse's office." The heir then reveal his conclusion. "In other words, the only ones who could have done this are Hiro and Kyoko, who are still missing."**

Slowly, eyes turned towards Hiro, who went pale at the looks (And growing glares) aimed at him. "W-Why are you looking at me?!" Hiro exclaimed. "Kyoko could've done it too!"

"But she has an alibi." Celeste pointed out, trying to push down the rising fury she's feeling. The fury at the possibly being _Hiro_ that killed Hifumi. "She was in the dining hall when Hifumi and I were attacked with the first two justice hammers." The fortune teller gulped at that.

Meanwhile, Mondo felt his barely held back anger crack. Something that Makoto, Taka, and Chihiro sensed.

" **H-Hold on a second!" Makoto protested. "Kyoko has an alibi for when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked! There's no question that she was in the dining hall with us!"**

" **Hmph." A smirk entered Byakuya's face. "You seem very adamant about defending her." The heir pointed out. "Perhaps you are… in love?"**

 **That brought a blush from the luckster. "Th-That's not it at all!"**

Despite the situation, Makoto couldn't help but bury his face into his hands and blush angrily. How could Byakuya go for this kind of a low blow in this situation? Has he no ability to read the situation? Makoto quickly remembered how Byakuya used to be like so he sent a quick glare at Byakuya to which the heir avoided the eye contact.

Sayaka subconsciously gripped Makoto's arm tightly, but pushed down the urge to glare at Kyoko. Hina, Mukuro, and Celeste also pushed down their jealousy. This isn't the time to feel that way.

" **Well, anyway. Yes, I do accept Kyoko's alibi." Byakuya said in acceptance.**

" **Which means, the suspicious individual we're looking for can be none other than… Hiro." Celeste concluded.**

"Hold on a moment!" Hiro protested, looking really scared. "There's gotta be some mistake! Some conspiracy here! I would never kill somebody!"

"I would like to believe that do, I really do…" Leon sighed with a grimace. "But out of all the survivors, not only are the only one able to do all that shit, but you had the motives to do it."

"M-Motive?!"

"You're greedy to a fault, Hiro!" Sayaka pointed out, scowling angrily at him. "You've clearly shown that when you ask Makoto to donate his organs to him, despite having other options available to you!"

"And even before that, you and Celeste were our top suspects." Byakuya added. "The evidence is clearly stacked up against you."

Before Hiro could muster up some sort of defense, he stiffened up as he felt a large amount of killing intent. Shakily, he turned to the source of it, which happened to be Mondo.

Said biker looked just as murderous, his tenth clenched, his eyes pooled with anger, and every muscle in his body tensed. His look and posture caused Taka to look at his friend cautiously, while Chihiro scooted away, fearful as to what Mondo would do.

He wanted to kill Hiro. Make him regret killing his bro. Everyone bone in his body is screaming at him to grab the fucking con artist and strangle him. But the knowledge that he won't be able, along with the Chihiro's fearful looks, was what keeping from launching himself at Hiro.

And he couldn't let his anger consume. Not again. Not when he saw the consequences of that anger with his own two eyes. So slowly, he suppressed that anger, kept himself from going over that edge. He's still not perfect calm, but it was enough as to not try and murder Hiro. "Hagakure, when this is done, we're going to have a good, long, fucking chat…" But that didn't stop him threatening.

The fortune teller couldn't help but shivered at this, unable to muster up any defense for himself at the absolute murderous look in Mondo's eyes.

"I... I think we should wait until they actually find the killer before we umm... you know..." Chihiro whimpered out, causing everyone to once again relax a little bit and return their focus to where it needs to be.

Hiro gave a silent thanks to Chihiro, to which he replied with a small smile. However, even though Mondo wasn't facing Hiro anymore, he could still feel the anger emanating from the biker.

" **Which further means, there will be no more murders." Byakuya declared. "The regulations are very clear about that."**

" **Oh, that's right…!" Makoto's eyes widen in realization. "There's a rule that says you can only kill a maximum of two people…"**

" **As long as that rule is in place, there will not be a third murder. If they were to break that rule…" The heir trailed off.**

 **Monokuma then popped up. "I'd mince ya! Mince ya without a second thought! Mince ya, grind ya, turn ya into pace!" The bear viciously stated. "By the way, did you know that fish paste can also refer to shellfish, like shrimp or crabs?!" With that, he disappeared once again.**

" **...Indeed." Was all what Byakuya could say to that.**

Despite realizing it earlier, some couldn't help but sigh with a bit of relief. However, none of them think that they're out of the woods yet. They still need to find Hifumi's and Taka's body. And then there will be the trial itself…

Yeah. They're definitely not out yet.

" **So, since two people have been killed, there is no possibility of any more." Celeste deduced.**

" **You knew that from the beginning, didn't you Byakuya?" Sakura realized, looking at the heir. "Which means you knew Toko was never in danger…"**

Several eyes widen in realization at this. "So that's why you didn't mention us leaving Toko there sooner…" Makoto spoke up. "And why you didn't panic like the rest of us."

"Then what's with that comment of being better off without her?" Hina demanded.

" **I still meant it when I said we'd be better off without her, though." Byakuya stated with no remorse.**

"Well, that answers that question…" Junko deadpanned, with some annoyed sighs or grunts from the group. It was Byakuya being Byakuya.

" **Anyway, with that in mind, we can now relax and search for the two missing dead bodies."**

' _ **Two missing bodies…'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **Two people have been killed, and their have bodies have been hidden. The only one without an alibi, the only one who could have done it… is Hiro.'**_

Hifumi flinched and shivered, while Taka clenched his fists and teeth tightly at the mention of their future selves' murders. Hiro also tensed at the mention of him being the only possibility, especially with the looks being given to him.

"Hiro… how could your future self do that?" The one who spoke up was Hina. The swimmer was glaring at him, looking ready to attack him. "How could you kill not one, but two of our friends?"

"It couldn't be me!" Hiro protested, sounding desperate. "I'm telling you, it gotta be some sort of conspiracy! Some fake Hiro running around hurting people!"

"Stop trying to deny it! The only one who could've done it is you!" Hina retorted. "So why? Why do it?"

"Hey hey... I still think it's too early to come to a conclusion..." Chihiro said.

"What do you mean? They just said he's the only one who could have done it!" Hina replied angrily.

As Hiro and Chihiro were trying to come up with some sort of defense, both Makoto and Kyoko were thinking to themselves. Both were doubting the possibility that Hiro was the killer.

For Kyoko, she felt that this was too convenient. Two murders where the only suspect possible is Hiro? Its almost like some sort of set up. And once the investigation starts, that set up can reveal itself.

For Makoto, he just couldn't believe Hiro would be willing to do that. Call it his naive belief in his friends, but while it's been made clear that Hiro would do almost anything for money, murder is one of the few lines he wouldn't cross. And if it was just simple greed, why bother killing two people? One would just be enough.

' _ **But… is he really the killer?'**_

"Huh?" Several eyes turned to Makoto, who shrunk a bit under the stares.

Byakuya was the first to speak up. "What makes you think something like that?" He questioned. "Hiro is the only one who could've done it. Everyone was together at some point when the attacks and/or murders happened."

"I know, but… it just feels too quick to write off Hiro as the murder." The luckster explained. "Until we get more information, we can't just simply conclude that Hiro is the one who do it." His statement earned a hopeful look from Hiro and Chihiro.

"Makoto, I hate to say this, but I have to agree with Byakuya." Sayaka said with a frown. "You know how Hiro is. You experienced what he's willing to do to get money or save his own skin. How could you not think that he committed this?"

"Because I know what it's like to have evidence and fingers pointed against you." That sentence drew a lot of flinches, remembering chapter one. Especially since most of their future selves were the one accusing Makoto. Sayaka and Leon especially felt their guilt crop up at this… "Also, I'd like to wait until the very end before I conclude something... even if the chance is small, what if we're wrong?"

"You have a point." Sakura sighed. "Still, unless there is evidence saying otherwise, our only suspect is Hiro."

"Then we'll just have to watch and see if there any more evidence." Kyoko replied, supporting Makoto.

Hiro was practically crying from the mercy he was receiving.

' _ **And what about Kyoko?'**_ **His thoughts then went back to the purple haired detective.** ' _ **If she's not involved with the case, then where did she go…?'**_

"Speaking of which, where did Kyoko go?" Taka asked, finally speaking up. "They haven't seen her in the first, second, or third floor…"

"I hope she's alright." Hina murmured worriedly. "I mean, I know she isn't dead or anything, but still…"

"Yeah, I'm worried too Hina." Makoto told her. He then turned to the detective herself. "Where do you think she's at?"

"Hard to say…" Kyoko answered. "But I'm sure that my future is okay, wherever she's at." Did she find something extremely interesting? Possibly bigger clues about the mastermind, or the school itself? That's the only reason she could think as to why she's out for this long.

" **Hey, Makoto. What's the matter?" Byakuya questioned.**

" **Huh?" Makoto was brought out of his thinking at the question. "Oh, no… it's nothing."**

" **Whatever." The heir dismissed. "We need to find those bodies, or our little narrative here can't move forward."**

" **Very well. Then let us split up and begin searching." Celeste stated.**

" **B-But…" Hina started to protest.**

 **But Celeste spoke up before she could finish. "There is no need to be afraid. No more murders will take place during the case." The gambler reassured her.**

" **I-I know that." Hina stuttered. "I mean, I think I do. But…"**

" **If you're still nervous, I'll come with you." Sakura offered.**

" **O-Okay, thank you…" Hina said gratefully, sagging in relief.**

"Your future self must be really rattled, huh Hina?" Makoto asked sympathetically.

"Y-Yeah…" Hina rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, but still shaking a little bit herself. "It's just… a lot is happening."

"I agree." Sayaka nodded empathetically. Her future self is already dead, and yet she still feel overwhelmed by what's happening to her friends.

" **No need to thank me." Sakura waved off.**

" **Then let's get moving." Byakuya began walking out of the room. "Yell out if you find anything."**

 **With that sentence, the others began walking out as well. "With that, we began our search for the two missing bodies in the third floor." Narrator Makoto spoke up. The scene switched to each characters looking in different rooms. "For a while, we haven't made any progress. And just as I was about to go to the second floor…"**

" **Makoto…!" Makoto, who was near the stairs, turn his head to the side to see Celeste and Byakuya quickly walking towards him.**

" **Why are you just standing there? We need to get to the repository." Byakuya told him, scowling.**

" **Huh?" Makoto's eyes widen in surprise. "You mean…?!"**

" **...I found them." Celeste confirmed. "Hifumi and Taka's bodies had both been hidden in the repository."**

" **I've already told Hina and Sakura. We'll go on ahead…" With that, Byakuya and Celeste went back to the repository. Makoto quickly followed them soon after.**

The group grew tense at this. This is it. When they find the bodies, the investigation and trial will begin. Hifumi and Taka are especially tense. Neither of them are looking forward to seeing their dead bodies once again.

 **The scene switched to Makoto, Byakuya, and Celeste inside the art room. Celeste was the first one to enter, with Makoto and Byakuya following. "So we entered in. And when we did, I saw…"**

 **The camera moved from Makoto's horrified face, to Byakuya's neutral look, before expanding to show Hifumi's and Taka's corpses lying on the ground of the repository. "The two missing bodies, right there on the floor."**

' _How…?'_ Was the question that weighed heavily in Makoto's mind. Confusion, distress, and slight frustration was gripping his mind. How on earth was Robo Justice able to get both Hifumi and Taka's body into the repository, without ANYONE noticing? Taka's is one thing, but Hifumi's was in the first floor. There's no easy way to carry someone of Hifumi's weight from the first to the third floor.

Kyoko, Mukuro, and Byakuya were of similar thoughts. They both knew that it would be physically impossible to carry both bodies in one room, without anyone seeing them. That's not including the blood the bodies would spill off.

Celeste also had those same thoughts. However, unlike Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya, she felt hesitant to think about it. As if the answers are front of her, and if she looked at them, she won't like what she sees. Why? What could the answer possibly be? She felt her stomach clenched when that question came to mind.

Even Hifumi asked himself this. As embarrassing as it is to admit, he knows that he wouldn't be an easy person to carry. The only one OP enough to carry him around is Sakura, and she was with the others. And she doesn't any sort of duplication abilities.

Several of the others, however, felt too riled to even attempt to think rationally. Chihiro, Sayaka, and Hina felt themselves too distraught at the sight of their dead classmates. Mondo was incredibly furious at seeing his bro dead once again. Taka had a sense of self-loathing for himself.

The only one who wasn't too confuse, distraught, or angry was Junko. ' _Okay, now he's dead!'_ The model confirmed happily. Celeste must've snuck in the depository, and betray Hifumi there. Which she probably planned to do from the very beginning.

Still don't know all the details, but she'll probably figure it out once the investigation. Might end up a bit boring though, already knowing the culprit.

 **The camera moved to each of the four survivor faces, with Makoto and Hina looking horrified, while Sakura and Byakuya had neutral gazes. Before anything could be said, the school bell suddenly rang.**

 **A moment later, the announcements played. "A body has been discovered!" Monokuma announced. "After a certain amount of time, which you may use however you like, the class trial will begin!"**

 **Just as the announcements ended, Monokuma appeared. "And so here we are!" The bear declared. "Without further ado, let me give all the next Monokuma File! I was going to hand them out when you found the bodies the first time, but I thought something might happen. It was really hard to resist, but… turns out I was right!"**

"That… damn…. bear!" Mondo growled, close to frothing at the mouth. "Will he stop sounding so goddamn gleeful?!"

"How can… anybody enjoy all this?!" Hina hissed, tears of anger and sorrow threatening to come out.

"I don't think that's a question any of us can answer, Hina." Makoto said softly. That's a question that would way on everyone's mind.

" **Just hand it over already." Byakuya interjected, impatience in his voice.**

 **Sure enough, the bear hand each of them a file. "Now, make sure to investigate with all of your mental might and prepare for the class trial! Okay, see ya later!" And with that, the bear disappeared.**

" **Well then, now that we've found the bodies, all that's left is to uncover the culprit." Byakuya said calmly, looking at the Monokuma file.**

"Why… is your future self acting so calmly…?" The one who spoke up was Chihiro. The programmer was looking at Byakuya with unshed tears shining in his eyes. "How can you be so apathetic? Watching your classmates die, being forced to execute another person… and you can treat like it's a game?! Or a job you need to accomplish?!" By now, Chihiro was shouting. "That's horrible!"

No one else said anything to that, but the angry looks from Sayaka and Hina, as well as the tears in their eyes, tells everyone that they agree with the former crossdresser.

Byakuya sighed. "Would you rather me panic and scream like everyone else?" Byakuya replied, slightly irritated but ever so calm.

"But how could you-"

"Shut it. When did I explicitly say that I didn't feel anything from this?" Byakuya gritted back, interrupting Chihiro. Though it angered Mondo in the process, he also couldn't bring himself to say anything in response.

' _Seeing a dead body is always a new experience...'_ Kyoko and Mukuro thought to themselves, silently agreeing with Byakuya.

"We all choose how we act depending on the circumstances, and even as I was before I came here, I'd rather face it head on than to act like that and do nothing." Byakuya said, pointing at the screen. Those were some cold words, but nevertheless, Byakuya still got his point across. Seeing no objections, he let out a big sigh before returning his attention to the screen.

" **H-Hold on…" Hina spoke up, a scowl formed on her face. "How can you be so… so calm…? I mean, they're dead, ya know?!" Tears began swelling up in her eyes. "Dead! Gone forever! They're never coming back!" Tears began sliding down her cheeks. "Awful… this is just too awful!"**

 **Suddenly, she bent down and clutched Hifumi's head near her lap. "Wh-Who would do this…?" The girl sniffled. "Why…? WHYYY?!" She then broke down crying, he tears falling on Hifumi's cheek.**

As Hina broke down… several of them felt themselves crying. Sayaka, Hina, and Chihiro were the first to break down, clutching onto Makoto, Sakura, and Mondo respectively. All three of them felt overwhelmed at this, at everything that's happened. For Sayaka, is was the guilt she's carrying. For Chihiro and Hina, it was the grief they felt those who died in the future.

Makoto also let out a couple tears, but he quickly steeled himself to comfort Sayaka, who seemed to be going through much worse than him. His blue haired friend clutched to him tightly, sobbing on his shoulder. Seven of his friends are dead now. Nearly half the class. And it's going to officially become half soon, once they find the culprit. When will this end? When will there future selves stop killing each other?

Leon gritted, trying to hold back any tears he's feeling. This is fucked up. Way too fucked up. Seven of them are dead, he's one of the damn corpses, more death is going to happen, and there still isn't even a hint a way out. There's gotta be something, right? Something that would save all there asses… right? His gritted his teeth as tears leaked out his eyes.

Mondo was caught by surprise when Chihiro clinged to his arm. But seeing the state he's in caused his anger to fade some, and he patted his head to comfort the smaller boy. As he did, he finally started thinking.

Why? Why his bro, of all people? He just began recovering. Just started moving on from his future self's death. Why take that away for good? Just… why?

Taka felt his hand clench, and his shoulder shake. The self-loathing he felt grew much more. If he was only strong enough, more discipline enough… his friends wouldn't have to go through this grief. Mondo wouldn't have to be so angry.

But he wasn't. And because of that negligence, he ended up killed. Another victim of this sickening game. Tears slowly slid down his eyes as those thoughts went through his head.

Hifumi and Hiro also felt themselves crying, both of them out of terror. For Hifumi, it's the thought that he could be killed in the future. The thought scared him before, but now seeing that as a sure possibility… it scared him even further.

For Hiro, it's the possibility that he could be executed. He can't believe that his future self killed two people. Sure he tried selling Makoto's organs, but if it really came down to it, he'd never do it himself. But if he really did kill those two… then that mean he would be executed if found out. He'll have to experience that future. That thought terrified him to no end.

Like Makoto and Mondo, Sakura was also comforting her friend, holding her close. The martial artist herself was close to crying. Seeing her friend like this, breaking down over everything that happened, is weighing heavily in her heart. But she held on, focusing on comforting Hina.

Even Mukuro herself felt emotional. Though she didn't tear up, it still pained her on the inside. Would she really put her classmates through this? Put them through this despair that her sister loves so much? Why would she, when Junko would easily kill her at any given time, when given the chance? Why… would she willingly put Makoto through all this, when he valued her much more than Junko ever did?

The only ones who manage not to tear up at all were Kyoko, Byakuya, Celeste, Junko, and Toko, the last one still unconscious.

Despite not as emotional as his classmates, the Togami heir still felt himself incredibly frustrated. Three chapters in, and they have nothing on the mastermind. Little clues as to who the mastermind is, no clue on a way out, very little about what's happening… and what little they did gain only brought more and more questions. Questions they have yet to get answers to.

Celeste used every trick she knew to not show any emotions. And even then, she threatened to tear up at the sight of all this. But she can't show weakness like her classmates. Cannot be overwhelmed by her emotions. So she clung to her mask tightly.

Kyoko felt herself grimace, the only kind of emotion she was letting herself show. The murders, the trials, the executions… even she feels that this is becoming too much. It was bad enough with one murder for each chapter, but with two murders? And that's not to mention the confusion that was sown before, and after the murders.

The detective looked at Makoto, who was soothing a crying Sayaka. She could see the tears that were threatening to come out of his eyes. So for him, and admittedly, partly for herself, she grabbed one his hands and gave a small squeeze of reassurance. The luckster gave a small, grateful smile, something that she returned.

Junko, meanwhile, looked away from everyone, her body shaking. This was to cover the euphoric expression on her face, with the shivering being of pleasure. This is so good! The grief, the emotions, all this despair is like ambrosia for her! It's making it extremely difficult not to scream out in orgasmic pleasure before fainting. She really was lucky that her seat was behind everyone else's.

Everyone was silent as they let out their emotions. However, that silence will soon end at the next scene…

 **At first, nothing had happened as Hina crying, with Makoto, Sakura, Celeste, and Byakuya silently watching. But then, against all possibilities, Hifumi slowly opened his eyes. A groan came out of his mouth, shocking the entire group.**

" **He's alive again?!" Makoto exclaimed in pure shock.**

THAT got everyone's full attention. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Mondo exclaimed in shock.

"How?!" Leon shouted right after.

"That… shouldn't be possible!" Celeste stammered, the mask she wore breaking off.

"He was dead!" Byakuya pointed out. "He died in the nurse office, before being moved in the repository! There's no way he could be still be alive!"

Even Junko was shock at this. This was _not_ something she saw coming. How could the fatso still be clinging on to life, with all the blood spilled from his head? _'If he_ _manage to survive this, I'm going to be incredibly annoyed!'_

"Does… does this mean Hifumi will live?" Chihiro asked hopefully.

Hifumi, who also felt shock at this seeing future self _breathing_ once more, felt himself becoming hopeful. Could he actually survive this? Will he be alive?

That hope, however, was taken away by Mukuro. "I don't want to say this, but don't get your hopes up. He seems to be barely clinging to life. And with that amount of blood he lost, he might not stay awake for long." The soldier pointed out.

Her words seemed to take away any hope the group was feeling, with Junko giving her an approving smile.

" **Where… am I?" Hifumi asked, his voice extremely weak. "Cold… so cold… is… winter coming?"**

" **H-Hifumi! Wake up!" Hina shouted tearfully, shaking his head slightly.**

" **...Huh?" Was all that the fanfic creator said. "Ahh… that's right… I remember now… Hope's Peak…"**

" **Come one!" Hina begged. "You gotta wake up!"**

" **I remember… everything…" Hifumi continued.**

Everyone froze again, processing what he just said.

"Wait… did he actually gain back his lost memories?" Taka slowly asked. "Does he really remember 'everything'?"

"Does that mean they haven't completely lost their memories?" Makoto asked, sounding hopeful. "Can they still get them back?"

"That's possible." Kyoko mused, narrowing her eyes. "However, it took a large blow to the head for Hifumi to recover those memories. I doubt any of our future selves will want that to happen to them."

"Still, maybe future Hifumi could tell them what happened!" Sayaka said, sounding eager. "He could at least tell them that their memories are wiped!"

"I don't think that's possible." Byakuya interjected, his eyes narrowed. "As we can see, he can barely talk. I doubt he can give us anything of use…"

" **Before… I'd met you… all… I'd met… you all…"**

" **His memories are blending together. He has nothing useful to offer us…" Byakuya sighed.**

Several of the students' shoulders sagged at this. Some knew that it was a stretch, but still, they had hoped that Hifumi would be able to give the remaining survivors anything of use.

" **Ahh… the light…" Hifumi moaned, reaching up with one of his arms. "It's… reaching out… to me… like… the tail… of a comet…"**

Many tensed at this, some tearing up. They're about to lose their classmates, _again_. Despite seeing him wake up, seeing revived, the hope shown to them is about to be taken away.

Hifumi himself was crushed by this. Look like this is just going to be a fluke. A small miracle shown to them before being taken away.

" **Hey, Hifumi! Who was it? Who attacked you?!" Hina asked, sounding desperate. "Who tried to kill you?!"**

" **Who… killed me…?" Hifumi repeated. "That's right… I remember… their name…"**

The group was even tenser now, some biting their lips or gripping their knees. If they can get a name, get the culprit's name, this trial can end quickly. They won't have to figure it out.

' _Don't be me, don't be me, don't be me, don't be me…'_ Hiro pleaded, his hands clap together in prayer.

" **Y… Yasu…" Hifumi's voice got weaker and weaker. "...hi...ro…" With those final words, his arm went lip, and his eyes slowly closed.**

A heavy silence engulfed the room. A silence with different range of emotions. Shock at the name revealed. Grief at seeing their friend die once again. And anger at the one presumably responsible for this.

Many who held doubt that Hiro was the culprit felt those doubts crushed at this. It's one thing if the suspect was the only suspect left. But it's another if the victim themselves reveal their attacker.

Hiro himself was in shock, repeating in his head what Hifumi said. Surely, he didn't hear that right, right? Hifumi didn't say that he was the killer… right?

That thought, however, when Hina slowly turned to him with angry tears. "So…. you really did do it…" Hina said in a near whisper. "You… actually killed Hifumi and Taka. Killed both of them."

"You… are the worst, Hiro." Sayaka hissed, her stare venomous. "Not only did you resort in killing one person… but two!"

"Why… why would your future do this?" Chihiro asked quietly, staring at Hiro with anguish and feeling ever so betrayed. "How could he even think about doing all this?"

"I- I didn't - It can't-" Hiro tried to get out a response. But his mind is far too jumbled up right now to give any appropriate answers, if there was any.

Mondo didn't say anything. But the bowed head, tensed muscles, and his still posture, clearly tell the emotional state he's in right now.

When Hiro name left Hifumi's lip, several of them gave Hiro glares or looks of severe disapproval. Hifumi, who was sitting next to the fortune teller, tried to scoot back away from him, while Taka kept himself from looking at him.

The only three, other than Junko, that didn't immediately assume that it was Hiro was Kyoko, Makoto, and Celeste.

For Kyoko, she just felt that it was something off about this. Despite Hifumi's words, she can't automatically rule that Hiro was the one who did it. Maybe it was her instincts as a detective, but unless all evidence points to Hiro being the culprit, she can't accept that he's the blackened.

Makoto, however, thought differently. As someone who befriended all of his classmates, he had that secret sense of pride of knowing what each of them are like. And he knows that Hifumi usually uses last names, not first. So why would he use Hiro's first name instead of his last? Why say…. Yasuhiro instead of…

' _Wait… no way. It can't be…'_ Makoto's eyes widen slightly, realization hitting his mind. If he was right… then he might already know who the culprit is.

Celeste herself was staring at the screen in pure shock. There was no thoughts of Hifumi's second death. None on whether or not Hiro was the killer. The only thing that was on her mind was this.

' _How… how does Hifumi know my last name?'_

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Worked really hard to put in that emotion. Let me know if I succeeded. Next up will be investigation time. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**


	57. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 15

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, this chapter will be the start of the investigation. Let me tell you, trying to figure out when the students will be able to figure certain details was extremely difficult, considering how painfully obvious this trial was.**

 **Oh, and I also got some good news: A couple of people actually bought my short story! Most of them were during the free promotion, but it still good that I got some sales. Progress! Hope the number of sells increases overtime. Also, the link of Adept: The Strategist Chapter is on my profile, and future links of oncoming short stories will appear as well, so keep an eye out.**

 **So, with all that out of the way, enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Helllooo everyone and welcome back to the latest chapter again! I hope the wait wasn't too long for everyone in your busy lives and all but anyways, the investigation begins!**

Chapter 56: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 15

 **For a moment, everyone was silent as Hina broke into tears once more. Makoto, Sakura, and Celeste held somber looks as Hina cradled Hifumi's head.**

 **However, the silence was quickly broken by Byakuya. "This isn't some stereotypical fantasy world. Tears can't restore a person's vitality." The heir stated callously.**

Byakuya's statement caused several to stiffen up. Honestly, none of them knew if they should be used to it by now. But still, it was a painful reminder of the past every time they see it.

 **Celeste held a frown towards him. "You have no tears, do you?" She stated bluntly. "No blood in your veins, no calcium in your bones. At least you have your meat…"**

" **You're just angry." Byakuya scoffed. "Going out of his way to return, just to leave us with those unnecessary dying words. Now this game has become exceedingly boring."**

Byakuya internally winced, grinding his teeth in frustration. Is his future self even self aware of the situation? Now wasn't the time spout off such nonsense!

Makoto winced in sympathy for the present Byakuya, while Kyoko, Mukuro, and Sakura had expressions of disapproval. The rest were definitely more upset.

" **He said… Yasuhiro, right?" Sakura inquired.**

" **Yasuhiro Hagakure…" Celeste murmured loudly. "That is the only person he could have been referring to."**

" **And with that, the case is solved." Byakuya declared.**

"No… no, it has to be a mistake…" Hiro, who finally managed to get his mind somewhat together, mumbled out. "It couldn't be me, could it? It can't be!"

"There's no use denying it." Byakuya sighed. "You're the only one we haven't seen, the only one without an alibi, and Hifumi said your name. There's no able way for you to deny it."

"But, it can't be me!" Hiro denied desperately. "It can't! I would never kill somebody!"

"Hiro, you were willing to sell someone else's organs." Sakura pointed out. "And that was not only to save yourself, but also to keep the money you have saved up."

"In other words, if you're willing to do that, it isn't far-fetched to think you would kill to get out with a million dollars." Leon concluded. That caused the fortune teller to try and stammer out a defense, but he couldn't find one.

Celeste, meanwhile, was caught up in her own thoughts. How… how did Hifumi know her name? When and where did he hear it from? And if he said her last name… does that mean she was the one that killed him and Taka?

No, that wasn't possible. Hifumi was killed when she was with the others. Taka later when she was with Hina. There's no way she could've killed either of them.

' _Maybe, he meant Hiro.'_ Celeste thought to herself. ' _It was probably coincidence that he said his first name, rather than his last. Yes, a coincidence…It must be...'_ However, despite her attempt to convince herself, she knew she was going against the odds.

' _ **Assaulting people, and even killing Hifumi and Taka…'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **And then going so far as to hide their bodies. A criminal that hides his face behind a mask, and uses a bunch of giant wooden hammers. Is that what Hiro is…?'**_

Makoto frowned to himself. None of this makes any sense. All of the evidence points to Hiro, yet when thinking about it, the fortune teller being the culprit is confusing. Why hide in a costume? Why try to hide the bodies in the first place? And more importantly, why kill two people instead of just one? It just doesn't make sense.

' _Is he even capable of coming up with this plan?'_ He thought at the back of his mind.

And despite what the others think of him now, he knew that Hiro wasn't a malicious person. He can be stupid, yes, as well as selfish and greedy, but not malicious enough to be willing to kill somebody for money, let alone two. And if Hifumi, somehow, knew Celeste's real name and was talking about her… then that makes it much more complicated.

Guess he'll have to find out during the investigation. Though he knew, either way, the outcome was going to be ugly.

" **If it's true, I can't forgive him… no way can I ever forgive him!" Hina snarled, her tear stained face twisting into a scowl. "To kill two of our friends…!"**

" **Anyway, it's about time we tracked down the culprit in our little life-or-death game here." Byakuya cut in. "Although… this time it's not all that life-or-death. The trial will conclude without much trouble."**

" **Yes, it does look that way." Celeste agreed.**

Hiro started sweating from fear. Did his future self really did it? Kill two people? It still doesn't seem possible! But if he did… then that mean he'll be killed! Executed! And doesn't want to see himself die!

Kyoko, meanwhile, felt that the trial won't end that easily. The amount of time to not only kill two people, but hide their bodies? It's physically impossible for most of them here to do. Something about this screams a fabrication of some sort.

 **Makoto was silent at this, looking down at the floor.** ' _ **It's… going to begin again.'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **We have to go through this… one more time.'**_ **He let out a sigh of resignation.** ' _ **I have to accept it. I have no choice to but to go through with this. To make sure everyone survives… I just have to do it!'**_

Makoto clenched his fists tightly, keeping them on his legs. During this investigation, he'll need to look at everything carefully. Find out whether it was Hiro… or Celeste.

"Here goes another investigation, and another trial." Byakuya sighed. "Before we continue, someone wake Jill up."

"I got it." Leon volunteered, getting up from his seat. When he got down to his knees, he shook the unconscious bookworm/serial killer. "Yo, Jill. Time to stop playing dead."

After a couple more shakes, Jill's red eyes snapped wide open, causing the baseball player to yelp and jump back. "Gyahahahaha! Your famous serial killer is back once again!" She then flipped back up on her feet before stretching. "Man, I am loving this watching the future thing! I get to come out much more and be my loving murderous self!"

"Of course you would like all this." Hina grumbled, scowling in anger. Similar thoughts were shared by the Sayaka, Leon, and Mondo, judging by the angry looks on their own faces.

Jill happily ignored the swimmer. "So, what did I miss this time? Someone must've been off'ed yeah?"

"Hifumi and Taka." Mukuro answered, getting raised eyebrows from the serial killer. "Then there bodies were dragged and hidden in the dormitory. In the span of several minutes. All done by someone in a robot costume, which is most likely Hiro." She ignored the protesting shout of the fortune teller.

"Oh? Two deaths?" Jill cocked her head to the side, interest clear on her face. "Someone here is vicious enough to kill two people? Now I'm definitely interested!" She let out her signature laughter. "Each chapter is getting more and more interesting!"

She then plucked herself back into her seat. "Kyahahaha! Now, let's get it rolling!" Nobody chose to say anymore to the serial killer, knowing that it'd only incite her more and turned their attentions back to the screen.

 **Makoto lifted the Monokuma File up to his face.** ' _ **First I'd better check the Monokuma File…'**_ **He began reading the content of the file. "The victims were Hifumi Yamada and Kiyotaka Ishimaru. The cause of death for each was a blow to the head. It is thought that they were both killed with a similar weapon."**

 **When Makoto tried to scroll down to read more, nothing else was revealed. "That's it?" Makoto said incredulously.**

"What the-? That's way less information than before." Leon stated in disbelief.

"Must be because there isn't much to tell." Kyoko mused, holding her chin in thought. "Nothing that we can't figure out for ourselves, anyway."

"Probably." Mukuro agreed with the detective.

" **Yeah, it's pretty strange." Byakuya agreed, narrowing his eyes. "We got way less information this time than before."**

" **That is no problem. After all, the events of this case unfolded before our very eyes." Celeste reminded them. "We should know more about what happened than the Monokuma File, anyway."**

" **Maybe…" Was Byakuya response to Celeste's statement.**

' _But why avoid revealing the time of death, and their location of their death?'_ Byakuya thought to himself. ' _The file didn't avoid those details in the last two cases. Why now?'_

Kyoko was also musing on the missing info. ' _...Omitting the information must mean they're important.'_ Kyoko mused to herself. ' _Otherwise, Monokuma wouldn't actively try to keep that info to himself. But what reason is there to do, when it was clear when Taka and Hifumi died?'_

As soon as she thought that, a thought dawn on Kyoko. ' _Perhaps it is because the time of death isn't as clear as we think.'_ The detective guessed. She was right after all; this trial won't be as straightforward as it appears.

Unknown to her, Makoto had his eyes slightly towards her. ' _She figured something out, hasn't she?'_ He shook his head with a small smile. ' _Kyoko is way too amazing. She's able to get something out of that little info.'_ He then put on a thinking face. ' _Which means what the file says, or what it's lacking, must be important.'_ It's something he'll need to keep in mind as the investigation progresses.

" **There's something else that's bothering me…" Sakura spoke up. "Someone else has been missing for quite a while…"**

The group immediately knew what the future Sakura was talking about. "Kyoko…" Sayaka murmured loudly in concern. "There's no sign of her ever since they split up this morning."

"Where could she be for so long that none of us would find her?" Makoto asked worriedly.

"I'm also concerned for her well-being." Sakura admitted. "While she isn't fragile, something still could've happened."

"The only thing we could do is continue watching and find out." Kyoko interjected. While she's confident that she wasn't dead, as Monokuma wouldn't allow a third murder to happen, she was curious, and a tad bit concerned about her well being as well. After all, being MIA for that long does spark some concern for most people. Did she discover something that took so much of her attention? Or did she got caught into a trap of some sort, set up by the mastermind? They would have to wait and see.

" **Are you talking about Kyoko?" Makoto inquired.**

" **Without a doubt, she has an alibi for when Celeste and Hifumi were attacked." Sakura stated. "But what if the killer wasn't acting alone? What if they had… an accomplice?"**

Those were some heavy words to take. "Sakura!" Makoto gasped in shock. "Why would your future self think that?!"

"You have to admit Makoto, that Kyoko's absence is suspicious." Sakura sighed, quickly understanding her own reasoning. "And with how confusing the case at the moment, we can't leave anything out."

"But there's no benefit for me to become an accomplice." Kyoko pointed out. "If I help them, then I will die anyway. So why would I be an accomplice for a murder?"

"True enough." Byakuya agreed. "I can't see you, in any scenario, assisting in a murder scheme."

 **The luckster's eyes widen at this. "An accomplice?!"**

" **An accomplice?!" Once again, Monokuma appeared.**

" **...What are you doing here?" Celeste sighed in annnoyance.**

" **Don't be rude!" The bear admonished the gambler. "I'm here to answer your question!"**

" **What question…?" Makoto inquired.**

" **You're talking about accomplices, right?" Monokuma rhetorically asked. "I'm pretty sure I explained it before, didn't I? During the first class trial! You can be an accomplice if you want, but there's no gratification in it!"**

" **So are you saying nobody worked together this time, either?" Sakura asked.**

" **Sorry, can't answer that!" Monokuma responded back. "It would obstruct the free exchange of information between you guys. I just want to make sure you don't forget - no matter how much you might assist in a murder, only one blackened can graduate. An accomplice gets NOTHING!"**

" **Then we only need to figure out who that one blackened is that did the killing, right? Just like normal?" Byakuya spoke up.**

" **Okay, okay, let me take this opportunity to clarify the whole shebang." The bear stated. "In this class trial, what you need to determine is… the one true blackened who devised the murder plot and put it into action!"**

"...I'm so confused here." Hina moaned, rubbing her head. "Is there or is there not an accomplice? Answer clearly please!"

Junko snorted. "The day the bear gives us a clear answer is the day Mondo goes without cursing for a day."

' _...Actually, his words seem plenty useful.'_ Kyoko thought to herself. ' _The one true blackened who devised the murder plot and put it into action? That very much implies that the killer has an accomplice, or a partner of sorts.'_ And something tells her that finding out the accomplice will lead to the true culprit.

' _ **The true blackened…?'**_ **Makoto thought in confusion.** ' _ **So just one person?'**_

" **That's enough for explainifyin'!" Monokuma declared. "Now it's down to the final battle between all of you, and the blackened! Good luck to all the contestants!" Once again, the bear disappeared without offering a chance for any more questions.**

' _ **So there can only be one blackened. An accomplice wouldn't benefit…'**_ **Makoto thought.**

"So Kyoko couldn't be a accomplice." Chihiro agreed with the luckster. "There's no benefit for being one, and she knows that."

"And she is way too smart to get manipulated into doing anything." Leon added.

"Still, the question as to where Kyoko is remains." Sakura reminded them.

 **The luckster then spoke out loud. "Then I can't see any way Kyoko would be connected to this case, after all."**

" **You may be right…" Byakuya conceded.**

" **If that's true, then… Kyoko, where are you?" Hina asked, clearly worried.**

"The future Kyoko better have a good explanation ready…" Byakuya sighed. "Otherwise, she'll invite us to suspect her as the traitor."

Kyoko frowned at this, as did Makoto. They both knew that if the future Kyoko manages to find something, she won't be willing to reveal anything. And with some of the survivors' suspicions, it won't look good.

" **As long as she's not connected to the case, it doesn't matter." Sakura sighed. "Let's get back to the investigation."**

" **I have absolutely no doubt that Hiro is responsible." Celeste stated. "But for the time being, I suppose it can't hurt to pursue further information."**

"There's gotta be some sort of mistake!" Hiro exclaimed, holding his head in panic. "There has to be some sort of fake Hiro running around!"

"If that's the case, then who could've done that?" Leon remarked.

"Well, maybe Jack! She's a serial killer after all!"

"How rude!" Jill huffed. "Just because I'm a serial killer, I'm automatically suspected for every kill?" She then pointed at the two new victims. "Besides, I only kill cute boys! And while strict boy here might barely qualify, he's too 'RAAGH FOLLOW THE RULEZ' to be cute! And I don't even need to explain Huffy!"

"That's because you have no good taste…" Hifumi grumbled, though not as much as heat as he usually would have, while Taka just sulked, painfully aware of how he comes onto other people.

" **You know…" Hina hesitantly spoke up. "Don't you think we should consider a certain someone a suspect, just in case?" When she saw the others looking at her, she continued. "I'm talking about the murderous fiend… Genocide Jack!"**

" **Wha-? I'm offended!" Jill, who was right next to Hina , exclaimed.**

" **Kyaah!?" Was Hina's response, jumping away from the serial killer.**

The present students also screamed or yelped in shock. "How the hell does she do that?!" Leon exclaimed in shock. "We didn't even notice her!"

"But, of course! I wouldn't be the murderous fiend if I wasn't able to hide my presence!" Said murderous fiend stated proudly.

"Seeing as this is also from Makoto's perspective, his perception definitely needs some work." Mukuro absentmindedly commented.

" **You…" Byakuya stared at her in shock, along with Celeste, Makoto, and Sakura. "When did you-?"**

" **I've been looking all over for you, Master! When I woke up, you were nowhere to be found!" Jill explained.**

 **The Togami heir was silent at this, still stunned. While he was silent, Jill turned to Hina with an angry look. "Anyway! You there, milk sack swimmer girl!"**

" **Milk sack…?" Hina repeated, looking both confused and offended.**

" **Why do I gotta be a suspect?!" Jill continued, clearly outraged.**

"I know, right?" Jill said in agreement with her future self, pouting. "They always suspect the serial killer…"

"Maybe it's because you're a SERIAL KILLER?!" Sayaka pointed out. "You're more likely than any of us to kill!"

"Yet I haven't even attempted to kill a single one of you yet!"

Her rebuttal was surprisingly met with an uncomfortable silence as she drove the point home. "...A point to the psychopath." Byakuya sighed. They're three chapters in, and the infamous serial killer has yet to even attempt a murder, while there were others who attempted or actually killed their fellow students.

" **Well, I mean… you are a serial killer." Hina pointed out.**

" **So what, I'm like a special guest suspect every time?!" Jill said in retort. "I have an alibi, you know!"**

" **She's right about that…" Byakuya agreed reluctantly. "When we heard Hifumi scream, she was with me. And when the body disappeared, she was still lying unconscious in the living room. Plus, Taka's body aside, I can't imagine any way she would have been able to move Hifumi's body."**

"So in other words, it's impossible for Genocide Jill to kill either one of them in any way." The present Byakuya concluded.

"Oh, master!" Jill sighed dreamily. "I love the way you defended me!"

"I'm just stating the facts. There's no deeper meaning to it." The heir stated flatly.

Meanwhile, Hiro still looked panic. "Then, maybe the mastermind did it?! And are trying to frame me for it?!"

"You seriously think the mastermind would waste time trying to a pin a crime on you?" Junko deadpanned. There are far more suitable candidates for her to frame, Makoto and Kyoko tying on the top. Why would she bother trying to have fingers at the useless fortune teller?

Besides, her future self doesn't really to do something like that. For one, it would ruin the whole point of the killing game. And two, they're doing a wonderful job killing each other off already. No need for any further interference.

" **Besides, I calculate every move I make!" Jill added in. "I'm not gonna kill someone when everyone knows what I look like!" She lifted her scissors with an psychotic grin. "They don't call me the murderous fiend for nothing!"**

" **That's not the kind of thing you should be bragging about!" Hina exclaimed in anger.**

"I agree with Hina." Taka spoke up, his voice soft but fierce. Despite the emotional turmoil he's feeling, he still felt the need to speak. "Being a murderer is not something to be proud about."

"Shaddap, you stiff!"

" **On another topic," Celeste spoke up before an argument could break out. "Should we post a guard by the bodies like before? We can't have them disappearing again…"**

" **Hina and I can handle that." Sakura volunteered. "You don't mind, do you Hina?"**

" **Sure." Hina sighed. "I'd be totally useless on the investigation, anyway…"**

" **Then that's that. Let's begin." Byakuya stated.**

 **Makoto frowned to himself.** ' _ **This whole thing is so strange…'**_ **He thought to himself.** ' _ **All but one of us has an alibi, so figuring out who did it should be obvious, right? But…'**_ **He turned towards the crime scene.** ' _ **Maybe it's just me, but I don't think it's going to be as straightforward as it seems.'**_

"And why would you think that?" Byakuya asked, raising an eyebrow. "All of us have some form of an alibi except for Hiro, Hifumi told us that he was the killer before dying. It leaves no room for any other possibility."

Makoto turned his head away at that. "I got that, but… even if accept that as fact, that still leaves some confusing questions." There's also the fact that Hifumi's last word could refer to Celeste's actual name. But for now, he's going leave that out.

"And what would those questions be?"

"I think the future Makoto is going to ask them." Kyoko interjected, seeing the luckster on screen going towards Byakuya. "But I agree. If we just assume that Hiro is the killer, then there are holes left unfilled."

Hiro couldn't but look at them in slight shock. They're still willing believe in him? Even after hearing all the evidence against him, and hearing what his future self asked Makoto previously?

" **Byakuya… do you think Hiro really did it?" Makoto asked the Togami heir.**

" **I don't see how anyone could think otherwise." Byakuya answered. "When the attacks and murders and disappearance all happened, every one of us had an alibi. And the last thing Hifumi said when he died…"**

" **Yeah… he said Hiro's name." Makoto finished off.**

" **Then there is no room to suspect anyone else." Byakuya concluded.**

 **The luckster let out a sigh at this. "Okay, but if he did do it… why would he hide his identity with that weird costume?"**

" **Maybe he thought that no matter what happened, he'd be safe as long as his face was covered." The heir guessed. "Because he's the fool of the century, you see."**

' _ **I mean, he is kinda dumb…'**_ **Makoto admitted to himself.**

"No I'm not!"

"You bought a fake crystal ball for a million dollars, con'd a yakuza girl out of her money, and used that money to buy 'artifacts' …" Hina listed off blankly. "And you still don't believe they're fake!"

"They're not!"

"Oh for fuck sake…" Mondo growled angrily.

' _ **But do you really think that's enough to explain it? I feel like there's a clue hiding in there somewhere…'**_

"The costume or the fact that he's stupid?" Mukuro asked, ignoring any indignant protest from the fortune teller.

"The costume… mostly." Makoto answered, giving Hiro an apologetic smile. "Don't know what yet, but I feel there's something more about that suit. And the hammers."

Of course, those that are adamant that it was Hiro didn't really get it, but there were a few that got thinking. Namely Byakuya, Chihiro, and Celeste.

" **And that is it? That's all that bothers you about the case?" Byakuya inquired.**

" **Well, no… there are a few other things." Makoto answered. "Like, why did the killer try to hide the bodies?"**

" **They probably figured that if we couldn't find the bodies, we couldn't complete our investigation." Byakuya, once again, answered easily.**

" **But if that's the case, we found the bodies pretty easily, didn't we?" Makoto rebutted.**

" **Again, it comes back to the fact that the culprit was a moron." Byakuya's fired back.**

"Can we really point to Hiro's lack of intelligence as evidence?" Kyoko pointed out. "If that's the case, we could've easily pointed to Byakuya or Jill thanks to their view of the situation and killing, respectively."

"That's… true enough." The Togami heir sighed. That was something he was unable to deny.

" **Is that really all there is to it…?" Byakuya was silent at Makoto's question. "The other thing that bothers me is… why'd they bother killing two people?"**

" **...What?" That question gain the Togami heir's full attention.**

" **Because all the rule says is, if you can kill someone and get away with it, you graduate. Right?" Makoto reminded him. "So if you're the killer, your number one priority is not getting caught. But killing people means more clues, more chances you'll get found out."**

"That… is actually a good point." Taka spoke up, frowning in thought. "It wouldn't make sense to kill two people, when you only need to kill one."

"Perhaps Hiro thought he could get more rewards with more kills?" Celeste suggested. "Like we said before, he is a fool."

"Okay, I admit, I'm stupid! But I'm not THAT dumb!" Hiro protested. "There's no way I would think that!"

"The fool has a point. Despite the lack of brain cells, he unfortunately does have a functioning brain." Byakuya sighed. "However minimal that may be…"

"So… does that mean Hiro probably didn't do it?" Chihiro hesitantly asked.

"There's still the alibis we all have, and Hiro's name being said by the horse's mouth." Junko pointed out. Truthfully, she's quite curious about that. She has no doubt that it was Celeste and Hifumi that caused all this glorious chaos, with Celeste as the mastermind, so why would Hifumi say that Hiro was the one…?

The model had to bite her tongue to keep her crazy grin from coming up. Ohhhh, so it's like that, huh? Guess that explained the hate she had for Hiro from day one.

"That is true." Sakura agreed, completely unaware of Junko's thought process. "We cannot ignore those things."

" **Hold on. Perhaps…" Byakuya frowned in thought. "I see… so that's what that means."**

That grabbed the group's attention. "Did future Byakuya figured out something?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Must be something important, if it gained his attention." Mukuro mused.

Byakuya, meanwhile, thought about his future self's reaction. What is he thinking about right now? Something about the entire chase? Something in the Monokuma file? Possibly something he was thinking on beforehand? Or maybe…? ' _Is he thinking about Monokuma's words? About finding the one true blackened that orchestrated the entire murders. If so, then… does that mean the culprit somehow orchestrated the entire thing?'_

He narrowed his eyes at the screen. ' _Perhaps Kyoko and Makoto are correct. This trial looks to be more complicated than how it appears.'_

" **I-Is everything okay…?" Makoto inquired, a bit confused.**

 **The Togami heir was silent for a moment. But after the moment passed, he gave Makoto a condescending look. "Don't talk to me as if we're friends."**

" **Huh?" Makoto's eyes widen at the sudden attitude. "What's with the attitude?"**

"Yeah!" Hina agreed with a scowl. "He was just discussing something with you!"

"My master is just being tsundere, that's all!" Jill let out a content sigh. "He always act like that with me all the time!"

Byakuya could only respond with a most disgusted face, not even finding the words to express it.

" **But… you have my appreciation." Byakuya said, walking out of the room with a smirk on his face. "Thanks to you, I might have some fun with this after all."**

His words got people tense once again. "What is he planning?" Hiro asked nervously.

"Don't tell he plan to mess with the crime scene again…!" Leon groaned.

"I rather doubt it. There isn't a position to tamper with it." Byakuya retorted, hiding his annoyance. "No, it's more likely that he figured that this trial is more complicated than we realize."

"What? How can it be _more_ complicated?" Hina questioned, mouth agape. "I mean, it's obvious that Hiro is the killer!"

"Perhaps he's not." Byakuya retorted. "Like Kyoko and Makoto said, there's too many questions held around the case. Until we're able get the answers those questions, along with more evidence, we can't say for certain."

"So… you believe in me too, Byakuya?!" Hiro asked hopefully, near tears.

The heir merely scoffed. "Hardly. I believe in what I'm seeing."

The short exchange got Chihiro thinking. If there's more to this trial… does that mean Hiro isn't really the killer? Is he actually innocent? Maybe he too, should learn to be more patient.

" **He talked as if… he'd figure something out." Makoto said to himself. "But if he did, would it have killed him to tell me what it was?"**

"Yeah, it would be good to have some info…!" Leon huffed, crossing his arms. "Cause seriously, this is becoming more confusing."

"Yeah." Hina groaned, rubbing her head. "I mean, if it isn't Hiro, who else could it be? There's nobody else that could've done all these things!"

"We'll figure that out during the trial, Hina." Makoto reassured the swimmer. "Once we get everything we need, the answers will come to us." Honestly, he had a feeling these answers will reveal themselves during the investigation. Because the more questions they ask, the more it feels like it's a partially complete puzzle with obvious holes around it.

 **Sighing, the luckster began his investigation. "I began the investigation right in the repository." Narrator Makoto began as the luckster kneeled towards Hifumi's body. "The first thing I did was look at the two bodies, starting with Hifumi's." As this was being said, Makoto focused his eyes on Hifumi's clean glasses.**

" **I looked at Taka's next, noticing the tarp lying under it." The scene switched to Makoto looking at Taka's body, laying a hand on the tarp. "Along with it, I noticed the dolly next to the body, with the wheels tracked with dried blood." A clip of the dolly, along with the blood stained wheels, was shown.**

The group felt queasy at seeing the bodies up close, but not as bad as before. Whether it's because of the fact that the crime scene is not as grotesque as the last two, or they're getting used to seeing actual corpses on screen, they didn't know.

As the thought crossed Makoto's mind, he gripped his knees uncomfortably. Are they getting numb to all this? To the murders, the trials, the executions… is it something they're getting used to?

He shook his head. Now is not the time to think about it. He needs to focus on the investigation. ' _So there's a tarp and a dolly, which probably means the killer used those things to carry Taka. Don't think they could've been able to do with Hifumi's, since it was on the first floor.'_

' _Speaking of Hifumi… his glasses weren't clean before, were they?'_ The luckster noticed the clean glasses on Hifumi's face. ' _If so, why are they clean now? Why would the killer clean them?'_

" **The final thing before I left the repository was hearing Hina's account during the search for the bodies."**

" **Hey, um… Makoto?" The luckster turned towards the swimmer, who looked concern. "I've been thinking about something. It's about the repository…"**

" **Huh? What is it?" Makoto inquired curiously.**

" **After Hifumi and Taka's bodies disappeared, we split up to look around, right?" Hina asked, recapping the earlier events. "I was really scared, so me and Sakura stuck together. And we came right to the repository to, y'know, look around. But when we got here, the repository was locked. We couldn't get inside…"**

"Locked?" Mukuro repeated, a frown on her face. "But it wasn't locked when Celeste found the bodies, was it?"

"No." Kyoko narrowed her eyes at the screen, her mind clicking away already. "It wasn't…"

" **It was locked…?"**

" **And we came here as soon as the search started, so there's no way someone coulda beat us here…" Hina continued.**

"So it couldn't have been anyone that was together during search." Makoto mused. "That would only leave Kyoko and Hiro…"

"But it would be extremely difficult, possibly near impossible, to get out unnoticed." Byakuya pointed out. "Those searching would've saw them."

"So how and why is it locked?" Sayaka asked the group. "It sounds impossible for it to happen."

"It sounds like most of the shit that happened is impossible…" Mondo grumbled.

Kyoko held her chin in thought. There seem to be a lot of impossible scenarios surrounding this case. But it's clear something was done to make it all possible, otherwise they wouldn't have happen. So what was it?

" **So if that's true, then… who locked it? And why is it unlocked now?"**

" **I wonder the same thing…" Makoto agreed, frowning in thought.** ' _ **The door was locked when the search for the bodies began, but now it's wide open…'**_

' _So the killer must've locked the door while dragging the bodies there, and when he was done, unlocked it and left.'_ Makoto theorized to himself. ' _But still, the timeframe doesn't really quite fit. Yeah, they could've done so with Taka's body, but Hifumi's body was still at the first floor. There's no way they could've move his body so quickly.'_

' _Not only that, but if the killer got out of the depository, they would've been spotted by someone else.'_ Byakuya thought. ' _All of us were searching around the entire building, it would be incredibly difficult for the killer to move around the area freely.'_

' _So how can you make all these impossible scenarios possible?'_ Kyoko asked herself. ' _Who could've done all this in the time frame set? It couldn't have been anyone searching the school. Hiro and I aren't physically capable of moving the body, nor could we get out of the depository without anyone spotting us. So the only one who could do this is…'_

' _Eliminate all the alternatives and that really only leaves one conclusion...?! No way!'_ Makoto thought in shock. ' _I mean, it would make sense, but… no. No, I just need to wait and see. I need more evidence before I come to that conclusion.'_ However, if he was right… then all these impossible situations makes much more sense. And with Celeste's real last name mentioned, she will look more suspicious in his eyes.

" **Hmm… there's gotta be a clue around here somewhere." The luckster said to himself as he walked out of the depository.** ' _ **Maybe I should check somewhere else. There are some places I already know about. The nurse's office, where Hifumi was found; and the equipment room, where Taka was found…'**_

 **As the scene switched to the luckster being in the equipment room, narrator Makoto spoke. "So, I went to both the equipment room in the physic lab, and the nurse's office at the first floor." As he talked, the present Makoto kneeled towards the puddle of blood. "In the equipment room, I noticed tire marks made from the blood."**

 **The next scene was Makoto grabbing a yellow glasses cleaning cloth, with a anime character on the front, from the trash can of the nurse's office. "And in the nurse's office, I found a glasses cleaning cloth."**

Hifumi was surprised to see it in the trash. "What the-That's my glasses cleaning cloth!"

"What?" Everyone turned to the fanfic creator with confusion and a bit of alarm. Makoto was the one to speak. "That's yours Hifumi?"

"Yes!" Hifumi confirmed with a nod. "But it's all bloody…"

"So someone took it off your body to clean something?" Chihiro asked with a small frown. "But what? And why?"

Some immediately figured out why. ' _Hifumi. He must've used it to clean off the glasses.'_ Makoto thought grimly. ' _That would explain the clean glasses. And who else would benefit from cleaning them?'_

' _And if Hifumi was actually playing dead, he would've been in the best position to move the body to the equipment room.'_ Byakuya thought to himself. ' _Which could mean…'_

' _...he was an accomplice in the murders, and was betrayed in the equipment room.'_ Kyoko finished. ' _And there's one person I suspect the most of everyone…'_

' _...Celeste.'_ Makoto gritted his teeth at this. ' _She's the only one I can think of.'_ Her last name being said by Hifumi was a large part of the reason why he think so. But he also remembered how strange her reaction to all this was, from the scared looks to the scream. Her being the first to say that Hifumi was dead, how adamant she was about Hiro being the killer, and how much more proactive she was in everything…

He clenched his fist tightly as these thoughts ran in his head, drawing a look of concern from Sayaka. "Makoto, are you okay?" The idol asked softly. "You look tense."

The luckster tried to give her a reassuring smile, though it came out as a grimace. "I'm just… thinking, right now." That's an understatement if there ever was one. He doesn't know what was worse right now. That Celeste could be willing to do all this… or that he's at a point where he manage to find a suspect before the trial even began. Sayaka, obviously able to tell that Makoto was onto something, didn't press the issue since if he wanted to talk about it, he would've simply told her. Whatever it was, he must be waiting for something definitive before telling.

As Makoto's gears kept spinning, he was once again brought out of his thoughts when he felt a hand laying on one of his clenched fists, causing him to turn towards the source of the contact. There was Kyoko, gave him a look of understanding and support, likely due to coming to a similar conclusion to him. In response, he gave her a small smile in thanks, unfolding his fists into Kyoko's gloved hand.

" **After that, I ran into Byakuya…"**

" **So this is where you were. I've been looking for you." Makoto turned his head to see Byakuya at the door of the nurse's office.**

" **You have…?" Dropping the glasses cleaning cloth, the luckster walked towards the affluent progeny.**

" **I wanted to thank you for what you did." Byakuya stated. "Not that you meant to, but you ended up making this little game of ours very interesting indeed."**

"I'm really start hate that word." Leon grumbled. "Cause interesting probably means deadly, horrible, or god damn confusing every time Byakuya says it."

"Or Monokuma." Hina added.

" **U-Umm…"**

" **You should go to Hiro's room." Byakuya advised.**

"What? Why my room?" Hiro questioned in confusion.

"Byakuya probably found a clue in there." Makoto guessed. "But shouldn't his room be locked?"

"Don't tell me that idiot forgot to lock his room…" Leon said blankly.

Hiro could only chuckled nervously at this. There were a lot of times where he forget to do things…

" **Oh, and let me give you this." He handed Makoto a paper, which was the note made for everyone.**

" **This is the note Hiro wrote to get us all to meet up, right?" Makoto inquired.**

 **The heir nodded. "You remember well."**

" **Well, the penmanship was pretty remarkable, so it left an impression…" Makoto explained.**

" **Anyway, this makes it clear, right?" Byakuya asked, getting back to the main subject. "This is a trap."**

"A trap?" Hina asked in confusion. "What do you mean a trap?"

"Tsk. If you can't figure it out yourselves, just wait for the trials." Byakuya advised. "Everything will be explained then."

"How about you it explain to us now, asshole?!" Mondo retorted in anger.

"How about you wait?" Byakuya responded back. "I doubt you'll believe me if I tell you now, so just wait for all the pieces to come together."

"That's probably for the best. Unless you're able to figure it out yourself, it's best to wait until the trial is underway to get answers." Kyoko spoke up, crushing any arguments from forming.

Mondo sulked back into his chair thinking that he'll never understand people who use their brains that much. Fists were simply faster and more effective.

 **Makoto frowned at this. "What is…?"**

 **Instead of answering, Byakuya let out a chuckle. "Things grow ever more exciting."**

" **Um… what are you talking about?" The luckster asked nervously.**

" **I've already repaid my debt. I don't owe you any more explanations." With that, the Togami heir turned and began walking away. "Goodbye…"**

 **Makoto watched Byakuya left before looking at the note again.** ' _ **Um… so he said to go to Hiro's room, but… what's waiting for me there?'**_

 **Narrator Makoto spoke once more. "So, I decided to go there and take a look," The scene switched to Makoto inside Hiro's room, which contained some cardboard boxes on the floor. "There, I found some cardboard boxes lying in the middle of the road. And in those boxes…"**

 **As Makoto opened the boxes, the camera angled upward to show the blueprint and material for the Robo-Justice suit. "Is this… Robo Justice?" The luckster asked himself, holding the blueprint. "And it's in Hiro's room…!"**

The shock at the reveal rippled throughout the room, especially for Hiro himself. It didn't take long for glares to be aimed at him. "So you did make the Robo-Justice suit!" Hina growled. "There's more and more proof that you did it! You can't possibly deny that you did it!"

"I- this is- I can't-!" Once again, Hiro's mind was too jumbled up to say "I can't even draw that well if my life depended on it!".

"This appears to be very bad." Once again, Junko got into her teacher persona. "A lack of an alibi, Hifumi's dying word, blueprints for the Robo-Justice suit, all points to you being the killer."

"Just man the fuck up and admit it already!" Mondo growled.

As several of the students ganged up on Hiro, a few were thinking. ' _This is far too convenient to be actual evidence…'_ Byakuya thought. ' _Having the blueprints and materials inside his room, while it's unlocked? It's obvious that it's a ploy to frame the fool.'_ The fact that several of his classmates are falling for it made him want to shake his head. Imbeciles.

' _ **But wait…'**_ **Makoto narrowed his eyes on the blueprints. "Hmm…"**

' _Not only is the evidence is way too convenient to be true, but the handwriting is too different to be Hiro's.'_ Kyoko mused to herself. ' _This is probably would be something Hifumi would make, not Hiro. Especially with his abilities and interest in anime.'_

Chihiro and Mukuro both also thought this was too convenient. Having evidence planted in his room, with his door unlocked, had them both questioning Hiro's guilt. ' _Is… someone really trying to frame Hiro?'_ The programmer thought to himself. ' _Does that mean he's innocent?'_

Meanwhile Mukuro was more doubting the technicalities of the situation. ' _Is Hiro even capable of making them?'_ She thought, examining the the material inside the boxes.

Makoto, however, was thinking differently. His eyes were turned towards a certain gambler. ' _Cele- no… Taeko. What are you thinking right now?'_ He asked himself. ' _You must have noticed something's wrong. Especially with your last name mentioned.'_

Celeste, who was silent for much of this, was trying to reassure herself. ' _There's no need to worry. There's no way Hifumi could have known my real name.'_ She thought. ' _And all the evidence is pointing to Hiro. There's no need to worry.'_ As far as she's concerned, this trial will obviously end with Hiro ousted as the killer.

It doesn't matter what Kyoko is thinking. Doesn't matter what Byakuya is thinking. It doesn't even matter… what Makoto is thinking. This trial isn't as complicated as they say. Once it starts, and all the evidence presented, there will be no doubts that Hiro did it.

There isn't any other possibility. There isn't any chance… that she could have killed two of her classmates.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys like this chapter. I'll try to get the next chapter out quickly, so I can END this chapter. Also, make sure to check my profile for links to my short stories. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier's Shower thoughts that didn't come from the shower:**

 **I haven't done this in some of the recent chapters since school has started kicking my butt again, but I was looking back through some old Fate/Stay Night stuff and wondered "Why didn't they make a Mitzusuri Ayako" route? I actually like her character and looking through Ao3 and FFNet, she's really not that popular huh. Or maybe, I just like the underrated characters. Ayako is a good girl.**


	58. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 16

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, this is gonna be the longest chapter/arc ever. 16 parts in, and we still haven't finished the investigation. Probably won't finish until the next chapter. Still, I hope you find some enjoyment in the investigation, and especially the trial itself once I get there.**

 **P.S. Remember to check my profile for link to my short stories (Got two published so far). And when/if you have the time, and the change, to spare, try checking out my Adept short stories.**

 **Oh, and I also decided to do a free promotion for every short I publish, a day after I update this fic. One, to hopefully get me writing these chapters faster (While also not sacrificing quality). Two, to hopefully get more readers for my original shorts. And three, so you guys can get the chance to get the shorts for free. Hope it works.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Hey guys, it's come to my attention that apparently I have been slipping up on my job quite a bit the past couple chapters and that is my bad. Maybe I'm getting washed up for this stuff but when you spend more time on a word editor than doing other stuff, I just fall asleep _. Anyways, I didn't look at this one feeling that way so I'm pretty confident that there's no errors on this one. And without further adieu, here's the next chapter!**

Chapter 57: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 16

" **Makoto!" The luckster, who walked out of Hiro's room, turned towards the direction of the shout. He saw Hina ran over to him. "Big news! BIG NEWS!"**

" **...What's wrong?" Makoto asked with slight concern.**

" **We found Kyoko!"**

Everyone jolted upright upon that announcement. "Finally, some good news!" Leon stated with some relief. "But where has she been this whole time?"

"Hopefully, we'll find out once Makoto and Hina meet with her." Byakuya said, crossing his arms. "She owes us an explanation for her disappearance."

" **What!?" That got Makoto's full attention. "I-Is she okay? Where is she?!"**

The group was slightly startled at the urgency in Makoto's voice, though not too much. Those who would usually tease the luckster about this either felt it wasn't the best time, or was too emotionally unstable to do so.

" **Wait, I wasn't done. There's more big news!" Hina told him, a scowl showing on her face. "Robo Justice showed up, too!"**

" **Robo Justice?!"**

 **Hina nodded. "It's Hiro wearing the costume!"**

That took everyone by surprise. "They finally managed to find him?!" Hina exclaimed.

"Well, we seem to be having big strokes of luck in this chapter." Celeste mused. "First everyone having alibis for the murders, then finding material for the suit in Hiro's room, and then finally finding the culprit himself wearing the costume."

"Yes. We seem to be having good fortune." Sakura agreed.

Hiro, however, disagreed, judging by the rapidly paling skin.

" **Anyway, c'mon! They're up on the second floor, in the pool area!" With that, Hina ran to the stairs. Makoto followed after her as quickly as he could.**

 **The scene switched to Makoto and Hina running into the pool area, where everyone else was waiting. As they got closer, Makoto finally spotted the two people previously missing on the far side of the pool. "Kyoko!" He exclaimed, focusing his eyes on the stoic girl. His eyes then turned towards the other person. "And…!"**

" **Phew! Man, I have had the WORST day!" Sighed the other person in the area, Robo Justice.**

 **At first, Makoto was silent, staring at the suit. After a moment, he spoke. "...Hiro?"**

By now, all color was lost on Hiro's face. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-?"

"Want to deny it now, you fucker?!" Mondo growled in fury.

"This is it!" Hina declared, anger also in her voice. "Hiro is the one in the Robo Justice suit!"

Byakuya was getting a bigger and bigger migraine the more these people speak. ' _To think I would have agree with these cretins…'_

" **I found Hiro." Kyoko revealed to him. "He was jammed into the pool room locker. It looked like he was fast asleep, so I kicked him and woke him up."**

" **I still can't believe you kicked me!" Hiro complained. "You coulda been a little more gentle about it. Like, I dunno, caress my face or somethin'!"**

" **...That's creepy." Kyoko deadpanned.**

" **Anyway…" Makoto focused his attention once again towards Kyoko. "Kyoko, where have you been all this time?"**

"Million dollar question right there." Leon remarked with a frown. "She completely disappeared through most of this shit!"

"Like Byakuya said before, an explanation is needed." Sakura stated.

" **You just disappeared all of a sudden, without a trace…"**

" **There was something I had to check up on." Kyoko answered vaguely.**

 **Her statement drew a confused and worried frown from Makoto. "What do you mean…?"**

" **Never mind." Was her response.**

"What?!"

"Oh hell no!"

"Fuck THAT!"

"You expect us to accept that answer?!"

Makoto resist the urge to let out a sigh. Honestly, he's not that surprised. And he kinda understood why she isn't saying anything. But he still wished that the past Kyoko wasn't so secretive, or at least so vague.

" **I can't never mind…!"**

" **Never. Mind." Kyoko repeated more forcefully. She quickly moved to change the subject, looking away from Makoto. "More importantly…"**

"Are you seriously going leave him with that half-assed explanation?!" Sayaka exclaimed in anger.

"Your future self does realize that it doesn't help her standing with the others, yes?" Byakuya pointed out to Kyoko. "I, and possibly a couple others, are even starting to suspect something…"

"Byakuya!?"

"Makoto, what else should we think? That nothing she's doing by herself warrants suspicion?" The heir responded back. "Not all of us are as naive as you are."

Kyoko merely stared at the TV, the only sign of emotions being her clenching fist. She realized that what her future self is hiding must be important, something that the mastermind can't find out. But at the same time, she can understand her classmate's frustration, and even feel them herself.

' _ **She says that, but… does she have any idea?'**_ **Makoto clenched his fist anxiously.** ' _ **Does she know people think she might be spying for the mastermind?'**_

"She probably does." The detective sighed. "But trust issues aren't something to easily shake off."

"So she can't even trust Makoto with some information?" Hina said with a scowl. "I mean, both of your future selves have gotten so close! She had said that she had trust him some! So why can't she just give him _something_?"

Kyoko closed her eyes, unable to find an answer. In hindsight, it would be so easy to say that she can talk to him later, or that they'll speak once they were at a place that the mastermind wouldn't here. So she has to admit, her future self's stubbornness to keep her cards solely to her chest is getting ridiculous.

" **First of all…" The lavender haired girl turned towards the fortune teller. "Hiro, you need to explain to us why you're dressed like that."**

" **Oh, uh, well… I mean… I have no idea." Hiro lamely said.**

"..." A blank silence filled the room at Hiro's response, with several of them staring blankly at the TV. A fully deadpanned, "What?" from Leon voiced what they thought of Hiro's answer.

" **One second I was asleep, don't even know how that happened, then I woke up, and then I was here…"**

"Does he actually expect us to believe that horseshit?" Mondo asked, annoyance mixed in with his anger. "He couldn't even come up with a better fucking excuse?"

"Hey! What if future me is telling the truth?" Hiro protested.

"Yeah, right. He was somehow asleep, then woke up in a robot suit?" Leon pointed out. "Do you realize how stupid that sounds?"

' _Maybe. But it wouldn't be as stupid if some drugs were involved.'_ Mukuro thought to herself. ' _And it doesn't sound like he's lying, but the possibility is always there..'_

"Whatever he says, I don't care." Byakuya sighed. "I just want him to get that ridiculous suit off. It's gives me a headache just looking at it."

"Hey! That's a work of art!" Hifumi protested.

" **I don't care. Do something about that costume." Byakuya ordered. "It pains me just to look at you."**

" **Well, um…" Hiro stuttered a little. "I dunno what's up with this thing, but I can't actually get it off…! A little help?"**

" **Why would you make something that you can't take off by yourself?" Celeste scoffed.**

" **I didn't make this stupid friggin' thing!" Hiro declared in annoyance.**

 **Kyoko moved towards the back of the suit. "There's a clasp on the back that's keeping you from getting it off. It looks pretty sturdy. I don't think you can get it off on your own." She grabbed onto the clasp. "We don't really have a choice. Let's help him…"**

Byakuya narrowed his eyes at the clasp. ' _This is obviously a way to keep him trap inside the suit. There's no way he could've put that on himself, fully.'_ The heir deduced. ' _It's becoming more and more obvious that this is a plot to frame Hiro.'_

' _The more we see, the more holes are there in the idea that Hiro is the killer.'_ Kyoko thought. ' _The attempt to frame him seems almost desperate.'_

' _Why is Celeste trying so hard?'_ Makoto thought with a frown. ' _This isn't like her. She's more subtle whenever she's manipulating anybody. What she's doing now is making it way too obvious that it was her.'_

 **The scene switched to the group putting down parts of the suit, with Hiro taking off the last bit of it. "Whew! Free at last!" Hiro sighed with obvious relief.**

" **Isn't it kind weird how perfectly the suit fits Hiro…?" Hina pointed out.**

" **More to the point, nobody but Hiro would be able to wear that costume." Celeste stated.**

"More and more proof that Hiro is the culprit." The present Celeste said right after. "It's like you want to be caught."

"Well, how do you know that nobody else could wear it?!" Hiro exclaimed desperately. "It could still be possible for others to wear it, like Hina or Makoto."

"We shall see if that's true." Sakura stated. "Still, it doesn't change that we found you in that suit." The scared look on the fortune teller's face told them all that he briefly forgot that little fact.

" **Wait, what?" A confused and nervous look entered Hiro's face. "H-Hold on a sec!"**

" **Don't bother trying to act innocent." Celeste interrupted coldly. "The blueprints were in your room, as well. In other words, it is obvious to everyone that you made the costume."**

" **That's true. I saw the blueprints myself." Byakuya confirmed.**

" **Yeah… me too…" Makoto also added.**

" **Then it's obvious… the one who put this costume on and went around attacking everyone…" A glare slowly went up on Hina's face. "...is Hiro!"**

' _It is obvious. Too obvious.'_ Chihiro thought to himself. ' _It's look more and more like someone is trying to deliberately frame Hiro for the crime.'_ But if so… then who? And how? That was something he has yet to figure out.

" **Shall we tie him up and gag him?" Celeste suggested.**

" **Good idea!" Hina readily agreed. "We wouldn't want him killing anyone else…"**

" **T-Tie me up?!" Hiro exclaimed in shock.**

Makoto winced at the scene, and winced again when he saw the angry glares some of his classmates aimed at Hiro, who looked absolutely terrified and conflicted. "Hey guys, can you stop glaring at Hiro so much? For one, it's not for sure that Hiro is the killer yet."

He could see them about to argue, and quickly continued on. "And second, even if he did, our Hiro didn't. So let's not treat him like a criminal for what his future self did."

"Besides," Kyoko spoke up, giving a look towards Sayaka and Mondo. "Some of you have no room to judge him, considering your future selves' actions in the previous chapters."

That comment draw a flinch from Sayaka, while Mondo looked away, fist clenched. Hina and Celeste merely backed off, the former still angry, but understanding Makoto's words.

Hiro sagged with some relief, though there's still some terror and confliction in his eyes and expression.

" **H-Hold on, guys." Makoto protested. "I think that's going a little far…"**

" **He may be a suspect, but he deserves fair treatment." Kyoko said in agreement.**

"The two of you are too reasonable, you know that?" Sayaka sighed.

"Some of us need to be the voice of ration." Kyoko retorted. "Letting everyone act out of their anger and paranoia will lead to chaos."

"And besides, like Kyoko said, even though he's a suspect, he deserves to be treated fairly." Makoto added. ' _Especially since it looks like he doesn't know what's going on at all.'_

" **Yeah!" Hiro quickly agreed. "I mean… attacking? Blueprints?" A confused look entered his face once more. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about!"**

Mukuro narrowed her eyes at Hiro. From his tone, words, and look, he really doesn't seem like he knows anything that had happened. So either he's a good actor, or is genuinely confused. And she very much doubt that he was any good at acting.

" **You can't talk you way out of this." Hina growled. "It's been decided… you killed them!"**

" **What? Killed who?!" Hiro questioned in shock, and slowly rising distressed. "I have no idea what you're talking about! There must be a fake Hiro running around!"**

" **You're the only one who can wear this costume." Hina retorted. "So who else could possibly be the costumed attacker?!"**

" **How do you know I'm the only one?!" Hiro pointed out angrily. "Maybe you should try it on yourself before you convict me!"**

" **Fine! If you're gonna be a jerk about it, I will!" Hina agreed in annoyance.**

"Let's see if someone can wear the blasted thing." Byakuya said, crossing his arms.

"I doubt it will." Hifumi spoke, looking at the costume with a critical eye. "From the looks of it, the costume was designed to fit Hiro's height and width, exactly. It doesn't seem like it's made to adjust to any other person."

The others looked at Hifumi in slight surprise. "You could tell all that with just a glimpse?" Sayaka asked him.

"Yes, of course." The fanfic creator confirmed with a nod. "I've seen cosplay like this in events I've participated in, so it's easy to tell. I've made some too."

"You make them too?" Kyoko asked.

"Of course! What part of a doujin creator would I be if I didn't do that as well?" Hifumi proudly claimed. "Although I don't wear them, I sometimes get jobs to make them for other people."

"Yeah whatever. Thanks for letting us know." Leon sarcastically said, batting that aside.

However, Kyoko was definitely not letting go of that information, and so weren't Byakuya and Makoto. Meanwhile, Celeste can only sit there silently as she felt the pit in her stomach feel that much deeper.

 **Without missing a beat, Hina grabbed a few of the costume parts and put them on. When she did, it was clear to everyone that the costume was too loose for her to wear. "See, look! See how loose it is?" Hina stated, trying to keep herself from falling. "I mean, come on… I'm blind as a bat in here! Can't see my feet at all. I'm surprised you got anywhere in this thing!"**

" **I'm telling you, it wasn't me!" Hiro cried out.**

" **And not to mention-!" Hina grunted. "You totally can't bend at the waist! Seems like a pretty obvious oversight…"**

' _Extremely limited vision, unable to bend at the waist…'_ Kyoko listed off. ' _Hiro wouldn't have been able to walk around the school like that, much less perform any of the actions that had happened.'_

" **That's not a very nice thing to say!" Hiro protested.**

" **...Hmm?" Celeste clearly caught his words.**

" **Er, I mean - it's not like I made it!" Hiro backtracked. "I just got caught up in the moment…"**

Byakuya facepalmed. The fool. It's no wonder he was chosen as a suspect. Celeste probably didn't need to do so much in the first place to make him a suspect.

" **Well, either way… now we know for sure, right?" Hina huffed, taking off the costume. "I mean, it seems pretty clear that nobody but Hiro coulda fit into this dumb costume!"**

 **After taking off the costume, she turned towards Hiro with crossed arms. "Well? Now you're all out of excuses."**

" **N-No, see… it's cuz you're a girl!" Hiro weakly argued. "If it was another guy, then…"**

" **Makoto, go ahead." Byakuya commanded.**

"Yeah, sure. Cause Makoto is much taller than Hina." Leon remarked dryly. "Why couldn't you do it?"

"Are you actually suggesting I wear the abominable thing?" Byakuya asked, disgust clear in his tone. "I'll pass, thank you."

" **O-Okay…" Not putting up a fight, Makoto picked up an arm on the floor and tried putting them on. "It's no good… the arms are too long. There's no way I can wear this…"**

" **See?! I told you it was impossible!" Hina exclaimed.**

" **You are absolutely right." Celeste agreed. "It seems this costume was made to fit Hiro's body exactly."**

" **Th-Then… there's another costume!" Hiro suggested desperately. "They must have one that looks the same, but… but fits them!"**

" **If you insist on this line of defense, then show us some evidence." Celeste countered.**

" **Evidence…?"**

" **You claim there is another suit, yes? Then you must find it and show it to us." The gambler told him.**

"C'mon, seriously?!" Hiro cried out. "Where is future me suppose to even look at?!"

"Doesn't matter." Hina spoke up with a small scowl. "He's still the only one without an alibi."

"Which means he's the only who could've done it." Junko added in 'agreement'.

" **Wh-What the heck?!" Hiro cried out.**

" **Who cares?!" Hina exclaimed. "Hiro's the only one without an alibi during this whole thing anyway! Which is how we know it's him!"**

" **I mean… is this really true?" Hiro asked, looking absolutely confuse. "I have no idea what's been happening. Could someone, like… tell me? If you don't tell me what's going on, how am I supposed to understand?"**

 **A look of dread entered his face. "I think I've figured it out… someone's been killed, right? Hey, Makoto… who is it?"**

" **W-Well…" Letting a sigh, the luckster answered Hiro's question. "Two people were killed. Taka and Hifumi…"**

" **What?!" Hiro eyes widen in shock and horror. "TWO people?!"**

"Why is he freaking out?" Hina questioned. "He's the one who killed them."

Mondo let out a furious growl, clenching his fist. "He better stop this fucking act, cause it ain't funny."

"B-But, it doesn't sound like he's acting…" Chihiro spoke up nervously. "He's sounds really confused."

"Not to mention he hasn't said or did anything that reveals that he knows more than he let on." Mukuro added. "No slip ups of any kind, no lack of a reaction, nothing really."

Once again, Hiro was shocked, as well as near tears. More people believe in him? Even after everything they saw?

"Perhaps he's faking ignorance." Celeste suggested. "And faking it well."

The idea drew a snort from Byakuya. He very much doubted the fool could act. He can't even lie well enough. His failed attempts at getting people to buy his fortunes are enough evidence of that.

" **Why are you freaking out? You did it." Hina stated angrily.**

" **I did not!" Hiro immediately denied. Before he could say anything further, a thought came to his mind. "Wait, hold on… If those two are the ones were killed… that's it! I know who did it!"**

That drew surprised, curious, annoyed and aggravated looks. "What is the future Hiro thinking?" Makoto asked cautiously.

"We shall see soon." Was all Kyoko said. While there's enough evidence to say that it was Celeste instead of Hiro, it couldn't hurt to learn anything else.

" **You may as well tell us, then." Kyoko spoke for everyone.**

" **Taka and Hifumi were fighting over Alter Ego, right?" Hiro rhetorically asked, whispering to the group. "Which means Alter Ego and/or Chihiro must have done it!"**

Almost everyone was giving the screen blank looks, while the actual Hiro was actually considering the idea. "Yeah! The have to be it! After all, Chihiro is protective of Alter Ego!"

The silence in the room pretty much expressed how flabbergasted everyone was in ways that words cannot express.

Byakuya's face slowly met his palm once more. ' _How stupid can one be?'_ The heir couldn't help but wonder. He would sooner entertain the idea of Hifumi and Taka killing one another, than even give thought of a dead person or computer killing somebody.

Kyoko merely sighed. The more time goes on, the lower her opinion of Hiro becomes.

" **I see…" Kyoko sighed. "That's unfortunate."**

" **Huh? Unfortunate…?" Hiro asked in shock.**

"But why?" Hiro cried out in shock. "It's clearly a solid idea!"

Slowly, Mondo got up from his seat with a fist raised. Before he could get too close, Taka quickly got up and grabbed Mondo by the raised arm. "Bro, wait!"

"Let me go, bro." Mondo requested far too calmly. His calm demeanor actually brought chills down people's spine. "Let me beat this idiot right now. I'm only gonna beat him to near death, I promise."

"That's still bad!"

Hiro yelped and held his arms out in defense. "What's so bad about my idea?"

"Chihiro. Is. Dead." Leon said through gritted teeth. "The AI he created missing, and stuck in a computer. There's no possible way EITHER of them could kill anybody."

"If Chihiro's a ghost, he could!"

Mondo walked forward again, this time dragging Taka. The moral compass tried in vain to stop him, but the biker became an unstoppable force. Thankfully, chains shot up around Mondo, tying him up and effectively stopping him. Everyone turned to Spirit in the back corner of the room.

"Didn't I say no excessive violence before?" Spirit reminded the group. "Beating a person near death counts as such. Settle down and get back on the couch."

The biker was silent, unmoving from his position. After a moment passed, he finally relaxed and the chains around him pulled back. Without only a small growl and a huge sigh of frustration, he walked back the couch and sat down, with Taka cautiously joining him.

"...Hiro, just, shut up." Leon groaned. "You aren't any help at all." The last thing they need is more of Hiro's stupid ideas.

" **Stop trying to trick us!" Hina demanded angrily. "Just admit you did it, okay?!"**

" **I-I'm telling you, you got it all wrong!" Hiro insisted. And again, a thought came to mind. "Ah, I know! That note!"**

Once again, the group was caught by surprise. "A note?" Taka said in confusion.

" **Note…?" Makoto asked in confusion.**

" **Last night, someone slipped a weird note under my door." Hiro explained. "And here's what it said…"**

" **I found a hole we can use maybe we can use to escape. Monokuma can't find out, so don't tell anyone else for now. Let's meet in the rec room at 1 am." After repeating what he read, Hiro's head dropped. "But the last thing I remember is going to the rec room, then for some reason I fell asleep. The real killer probably drugged me or something!"**

Hiro gained a hopeful look at that. Others, however, were much more doubtful.

"Does he honestly believe we're gonna fall for that shit?" Mondo asked bluntly. Hiro's previous idea had actually calm him down more, after he sat back on the couch. "No fucking chance."

"Hold on, Mondo." Makoto spoke up. "I saw chemicals like that whenever I go to the nurse's office, so his story is possible."

"Wait, seriously?" Leon asked in shock.

"Yeah." The luckster nodded. "Sleeping drugs whenever Mikan or other medical professionals have to perform more serious injuries."

"How do you know that?" Sayaka asked him curiously.

"You forget that our so called lucky student gets injured regularly." Byakuya remarked dryly. "He's probably familiar with all the medicine in that cabinet."

Said lucky student opened his mouth to protest, before closing it after a moment, knowing that he can't really deny that.

" **...Not a chance." Hina stated bluntly.**

" **No, hold on." Kyoko spoke up. "He could be onto something. The nurse's office did have chemicals that could do that…"**

" **Wh…?" Hina looked surprise at this, the anger temporarily gone. "Really?"**

"So future me might actually have an alibi!" Hiro said, sounding very hopeful. "Maybe someone is setting him up!"

' _Assuming he still has the note.'_ Byakuya, Kyoko, and Mukuro thought. While it's likely that Hiro is telling the truth, the killer can just snatch it away while he's asleep, and destroy the evidence.

" **I told you. Someone's try to set me up…" Hiro said, frowning. "A secret passage - a chance to escape… someone wrote all that to trick me!"**

" **Even if that's true, you must be one dumb fish to bite every piece of bait that floats in front of you." Hina sighed.**

"Hina got a point there." Junko said in agreement. "Seriously, if it's way too good to be true, it's probably isn't. Or there's a catch alongside it."

"W-Well, they've been trapped in the school for a while." Hiro defended his future self. "I was probably desperate!"

" **Well, after being trapped here so long, even if you know it's a lie, you still gotta check, right?" Hiro said in defense for himself. He then cried out in despair. "They used my desire to get out of here! They deceived me!"**

"See?! They used my desperation to lure me in!"

"Whatever soothes what pride you have left." Byakuya said dryly.

" **I still don't buy it…" Hina sighed.**

" **Well you SHOULD buy it!" Hiro responded back.**

" **Okay… then show us that note!" The swimmer demanded.**

" **With pleasure!" Hiro said happily, as he reached into his pockets. "I have it right here in my… um, pocket…" A look of confusion entered his face as continued digging through his pockets. "Looks like I lost it…"**

Heads were slumped and looks of disappointment were sent at Hiro when his future self uttered that last sentence.

"Oh come on!" Hiro complained, the color draining from his face.

"Well, it's been nice knowing ya!" Jill said cheerfully, waving at Hiro. "I would suggest your future self enjoy life while he still can! Maybe a party!"

"But it can't be me! I'm not a killer!"

"Shut your mouth, murderer, and accept your fate!"

"Who are YOU calling a murderer, murderer?!"

" **Yeah, sure…" Hina remarked dryly.**

" **P-P-Please, ya gotta believe me! I wouldn't hurt a fly!" Hiro pleaded.**

" **As I said before, if you want us to believe you, you must provide evidence. Can you show us the note?" Celeste requested. "I have no particular issue with what you claim, but if you want us to believe you, give us a reason."**

" **Wh-What the heck?! For serious!" Hiro groaned.**

 **After a moment, Byakuya spoke up. "Now then, shall we resume the investigation?" He rhetorically asked. "There's no time to waste before the class trial begins."**

" **Why do we need to keep investigating?" Hina questioned. "We already know who did it…" She then gave Hiro an angry glare, tears forming in her eyes. "Why…? Why did you kill them? Tell us, Hiro…!"**

"It's far too soon to say that Hiro is the killer." Byakuya stated. "After all, there's still several questions surrounding the case. Questions you halfwits are too blind to see." ' _Some more willfully than others.'_ The heir thought to himself, ignoring the angry looks he's receiving and staring right at Celeste.

The gambler noticed the stare. ' _What is that look for?'_ She thought to herself. ' _Is he implying that I'm not seeing what's obvious? Willfully so?'_ She shook her head. ' _Ridiculous. The answer is clear. The killer is Hiro.'_ She ignored any bad feeling she had in her stomach.

" **No… it's like I said…!" Hiro tried to defend himself.**

 **But Hina wasn't done. "Was it really the money Monokuma offered us?" She questioned. "Yeah, that must be it… you must be totally broke, and that's why…!"**

" **W-Wait! That's a false accusation!" Hiro protested helplessly. "Someone, help me!"**

" **Just be thankful we haven't bound and gagged you!" Hina retorted angrily.**

Makoto couldn't help but wince at this, feeling sympathy for the fortune teller. The accusations Hiro was facing was much worse than what his future self had to go through.

Still, he couldn't really blame Hina either. With everything that had happen, and is happening, it's difficult to use your head, especially when evidence seems overwhelming.

" **If you have time to yell and carry on, you have time to search for your evidence." Byakuya advised. "Right?"**

" **Ah! You right!" Hiro said in realization. "I need to look for the second suit and that note!" He then began running out of the pool in neck breaking speed. "Feet don't fail me now!"**

"Go future me! Find that note and suit as soon as possible!" Hiro cried out to his future self.

Leon turned to Sayaka. "How much you want to bet that he won't find anything?"

"Nothing at all." Sayaka replied back with an eye roll. "Cause that will probably be the result."

"Well, who knows?" Makoto spoke up. "Maybe he can find something else." While he had doubts that Hiro will be able to find that note, or a second suit, maybe he could be lucky and stumble on a different thing.

" **I guess I'd better get back to guard duty…" Hina sighed. "I was gonna ask Toko - er, Genocide Jack to switch with me. But if she and Sakura got into a fight, we'd have a catastrophe on our hands."**

"Me? Get into a fight with that muscle weight?" Jill voiced the idea in curiosity. Then she laughed it off. "While that sounds like it would be fun, I don't get into duels with people! I'm the sneaky type, you know!"

"You certainly don't act like it." Hina grumbled.

" **Well, bye…" With that, Hina went on her way back to the crime scene. Byakuya and Celeste also followed suit, leaving Makoto and Kyoko alone.**

"So they're back to the investigation." Byakuya said, crossing his arms. "Though it probably won't be long before Monokuma calls for the trial."

"It is no problem." Celeste stated. "They've gathered enough evidence to pinpoint Hiro as the killer. His lack of an alibi, the materials and instructions found in his room, finding him in the suit himself…"

"But is that enough to conclude that Hiro is the killer?" Taka quietly spoke up. "After all, our future selves were close to voting for Makoto for Sayaka's murder, just because she was in his room." He has been listening to the conversations and arguments happening with his classmates for a while, and he has to admit, something does seem suspicious about his and Hifumi's deaths.

"Then who else could it be?" Hina cried out in frustration. "Everyone else has alibis, and none of the other survivors can fit in the suit! So who could it possibly be?"

' _Celeste would be the primary suspect..'_ Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya thought in their head. With each piece of evidence revealing itself to them, the more sure they were that the Ultimate Gambler is the assailant.

Of course, the thought didn't sit well with Makoto. One way or another, this trial is going to get ugly. He just hope that, at the very least, it won't drive a deeper wedge between his classmates.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys like this chapter, and it doesn't feel to repetitive. I tried my best to keep it from being so, one of the reasons I took so long with this chapter, but I don't know how much success I had. Hopefully, Lucky's editing can fix that if it's an issue.**

 **Again, make sure to check out my shorts whenever you get the chance, especially during the free promotions (Which will start on April's Fools Day, and end at April 5th. Don't worry, it's not a trick). Also, if/when you do, to give me reviews on Amazon. I would like to get feedback, to know how well I'm doing with my original shorts.**

 **So, one more investigation chapter before getting into the trials. I'm gonna try to make that chapter come quicker, but I'm not holding my breath. Especially with how difficult chapter 3 is, along with the mcu marathon I'm having with my family (In preparation for Endgame). Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**

 **A Lucky Soldier's showerthoughts (not from shower):**

 **I read a couple of the comments about the Ayako route thing, and I honestly would write one if I were as confident in my F/SN knowledge as I was with Danganronpa. I've only read the VN and there's really not much to go off. Well, I guess by the same token that means there's that much more freedom but we'll have to see. I've been getting involved in a lot more things in real life so my time to write just keeps going down and hell, I haven't even got to the next story I wanted to write yet T_T.**

 **Anyways on a more Danganronpa related topic, there was another comment about the parents watching this whole thing and I can't help but just laugh at the idea of their parents arguing. Its hard to picture though since we don't know a lot of the student's parents. But even still, the idea of Makoto's dad getting up and beating Sayaka's dad is still a funny one even though I honestly doubt he would do so. I remember there were snippets about Sayaka's dad but I don't remember the details (or I'm mixing it up with someone else..). Anyways, I just thought I'd let you guys know that his idea kept me humored for a good while. Good day to you too sir :D**

 **And just before I leave this off, I'm a bit curious as to something here: With Danganronpa finally ?ending? where has everyone else migrated to? If anyone reads this, y'all know I moved to Fate and now I'm also quite invested in the Quintuplets manga and anime :3**


	59. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 17

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, this one is shorter compared to the others, but that's because it wraps up the investigation. Yay! So, like I mentioned, this wraps up the investigation, and set things up for the class trial next chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Hey guys! This chapter has been delayed a bit since I went through finals for the last week and a half but here we are! I'm going to keep this part short (literally) since I'm still in the middle of celebrating the end of the semester (and also not looking forward to the next one) so I'll see you all next chapter!**

Chapter 58: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 17

" **Makoto, do you have a second?" Kyoko inquired once everyone else left.**

 **"Huh?"** **The luckster reacted as he turned towards Kyoko in curiosity.**

" **I want you to help me with the investigation." The lavender haired girl requested.** " **It looks like I got a late start on this one, so I need to make up some ground."**

"Oh, yeah. Kyoko disappeared for most of the investigation." Chihiro said in musing. "So she probably needs a summary of everything that happened."

"Though is it really wise to ask anybody for help?" Junko remarked. "For all she knows, she could be asking the killer and they can make anything up."

"That's why I'm asking Makoto for help." Kyoko said in response.

 **Makoto was silent for a moment, thinking on it, before speaking. "Sure, I don't mind helping. But can you promise me something?" He asked. "Later, when we have time… will you tell me why you disappeared?"**

" **No." Kyoko bluntly answered.**

That brought a few winces, as well as angry scowls, due to how blunt the rejection was. "While I really shouldn't any less…" Makoto sighed. "I was still hoping she would've say yes."

"It would've been fair." Sayaka said with a scowl. "She wants help, but refuse to give any sort of answer for why she disappeared?"

Kyoko bit the inside of her lips to keep any frustration from showing. This is really getting ridiculous. Her future self could at least offer an good explanation as to why she isn't saying anything.

 **Makoto couldn't help but cringe a little.** ' _ **To reject me so simply…'**_

" **Anyway, I need your help." Kyoko went back to the main subject. "You don't mind, do you?"**

" **...O-Okay." The luckster sighed in defeat.**

"You need to grow a spine." Byakuya stated bluntly. "You gave up too easily there."

Before Makoto could respond or defend himself, Mondo let out a snort. "Like hell he did. He's just gonna wait till later to press." The biker retorted.

"Oh?" Byakuya raised an eyebrow at that. "And how did you figure that?"

"Cause I know Makoto is stronger than he fucking looks or act." The biker's last conversation with the guy, during the break, proved that to him. "He's got the courage to press the subject, but fucking mature enough not to do it now."

As they slowly thought over his words, Chihiro spoke up. "He's right." He said softly. "I think Makoto is brave enough to press Kyoko further, but patient enough to wait."

"I won't disagree on that," Byakuya sighed. Evidence has been shown that Makoto does contain both bravery and maturity. "But we shall see after the trial."

" **Thanks." The lavender haired girl then moved to the exit. "Now then, shall we…?"**

 **The scene switched to Makoto and Kyoko exiting the pool area. "So, Makoto… first I'd like to examine the corpses."**

' _ **Examine the corpses…'**_ **Makoto repeated in his mind blankly.** ' _ **I can't believe I'm hearing that from a girl the same age as me…'**_

"Yeah, tell me about it." Hina said with a small shudder. "I mean, I know you're the Ultimate Detective Kyoko, but still…"

"It's not something to get easily use to." Leon remarked before pointing a finger at Genocide Jill. "We're still not fully used to Jack either!"

His reply was a raspberry. "You guys just have no guts!"

Kyoko sighed herself. Just because she is more exposed to this stuff doesn't mean she likes it either.

" **Dead bodies don't lie, you know." Kyoko continued. "They tell the truth far more easily than the living. Wouldn't you agree?"**

" **How am I supposed to answer…?" Was Makoto's response.**

" **Anyway, we have have to hurry. Before the class trial begins again…" Kyoko stated.**

" **Y-Yeah, you're right…" Makoto sighed in agreement.**

" **Okay then, show me where the bodies are."**

 **Again, the camera switched, this time in the repository, where Hina and Sakura are guarding the bodies. "Hifumi… and Taka…" For a moment, Kyoko was rigid. But that moment quickly passed, and she relaxed. "Well then, let's get started."**

Junko's eyes lit up with interest. "Wow. So it seems like even Kyoko is affected by the death of two classmates." The fashionista said softly.

"Of course. Kyoko hides her emotions well, but she's still human." Makoto said in response for the detective. Then a smile entered his face. "It's still pretty impressive that she only allowed herself to show that much emotion."

Kyoko had to suppress her embarrassment at the sudden compliment. So long as she could help it, Makoto will never find out how much his sincere compliments affected her…

 **Without hesitation, she crouched down towards Taka's and Hifumi's bodies, and began examining them. "The Monokuma file was right. They were killed using similar weapons." She continued prodding the bodies.**

' _ **Her movement is so smooth.'**_ **Makoto thought in amazement.** ' _ **She was so… calm. Comfortable.'**_

"Do you always narrate this stuff in your head?" Kyoko commented, tinges of pink flushed on her face. She was both equally embarrassed at how highly he always thought of her as well as being just as curious as to how he saw everyone around him.

"L-Look, I can't really help it ok?" Makoto said, just as embarrassed.

" **Makoto. I found something." Kyoko announced, drawing the luckster's attention.**

" **You did…?"**

" **You remember the wristwatch Taka always wore on his left hand?" The lavender haired girl asked him.**

 **Makoto cocked his head in confusion. "He did…?"**

" **Are you so oblivious to the people around you?" Kyoko sighed. "Do you dislike other people that much?"**

That comment took people by surprise. "Damn!" Leon whistled. "I can't tell if she's serious or not!"

"Probably serious." Byakuya sighed. "She's admonishing him for not paying attention to details like that."

"But saying that he dislikes other people is a bit much!" Hina stated with a frown. "I mean, I don't notice stuff like that!"

"Well, it's something you should learn to notice." Kyoko advised. You never know when info like that can be useful.

" **N-No, that's not it…" Makoto protested, flustered. Shaking his head, he went back to the main subject. "Anyway, so you said he had a watch?"**

" **Take a look…" Kyoko held up the wrist the contained Taka's watch. "It's broken. You can see the hands aren't moving, right? It's most likely broke when he had his encounter with his assailant. And if you notice, the hands are frozen at just past 6 o'clock."**

"So what, does that mean it was broken around 6 or something?" Hiro asked,

"Though it has to be am, not pm." Makoto mused. "Because if I remember correctly, Taka was checking his watch the night before the murders. Right before nighttime."

"That's right." The present Taka spoke. "My future self wanted their meeting to go before nighttime starts."

"So it ended up busted when he got killed during the search." Leon guessed. "So what?"

' _No. That's not possible.'_ Kyoko thought to herself. ' _If it broke right around 6 o'clock, and it didn't break at night…'_

' _...That would it broke at 6 in the morning.'_ Byakuya unknowingly continued. ' _This means that Taka actually died in that time, which would also means…'_

' _...That Taka was killed first. Before any of the survivors were even up.'_ Makoto thought in slight shock. ' _That would mean the Justice Hammers were created to mislead us. To have us think…'_

' _...Every happenstance was during our little search.'_ Byakuya deduced with narrowed eyes. ' _It would also explain why Monokuma decided to hide the info of when the murder take place. It's part of the Celeste's disguise.'_

' _Hifumi's fake death, disguising the time of death, Hiro's inability to take the suit off himself…'_ Kyoko listed off. ' _All that, and more is used to try and lead us to only one conclusion. To try and fool into thinking Hiro is the killer.'_

' _All this planning, all this set up… it all so carefully constructed and masterfully plan.'_ Makoto thought, nausea slowly filling him. ' _These murders were plan from the beginning. Celeste… just how long were thinking of doing this?'_

"Oooohh kay...?" Leon gave a weird look at his 3 friends as they suddenly fell silent and looked deep in thought. However, figuring that he had nothing else to offer, he just returned his attention to the screen.

" **So that would mean… the watch was broken sometime just after 6?" Makoto guessed.**

" **But last night, Taka's watch definitely wasn't broken…" Kyoko told him. "So if it worked at 10 last night, it couldn't have been broken at 6 p.m."**

" **Meaning it must have happened at 6 this morning." Makoto surmised.**

"6 a.m…" Chihiro murmured to himself. Does that mean Taka was killed first?

' _This means that the numbering of the Justice Hammers were made to mislead us…'_ Mukuro mused. That's definitely something to note.

" **And that's not all. Look at Taka's left hand." She pointed at the thing gripped tightly in Taka's hand. "He appears to be gripping something…"**

 **Makoto's eyes widen slightly at this. "You're right There's something… white in here."**

"How did we not notice that before?" Byakuya asked with slight disbelief. "At least some of us should've done so."

"We had to deal with a lot." Sakura said in response. "The death of two of our friends, the search for their bodies when they went missing, and Hifumi's brief revival, would keep from seeing small details."

" **Can you try and pry it out?" Kyoko requested.**

" **Me?!"**

"Yeah, me?!" Makoto cried out alongside his future self. "Why me?!"

" **Rigor mortis has already set in." Kyoko responded. "Boys are better suited to this kind of manual labor, right?"**

"Seriously?" Leon questioned incredulously. "You, of all people, is saying _THAT_?"

"Apparently." Kyoko said, not looking his way. "But it doesn't make it any less true."

Makoto could only give the detective a blank look, to which she simply kept her head turned away.

" **O-Okay…" Reluctantly, Makoto grabbed Taka's cold hand. Looking a bit pale, the luckster pried his fist until he's able to free the object in his hand. "A… piece of paper?"**

That gain several looks of confusion. "That's all he had?" Hina asked, tilting her head.

"But why did I had that piece of paper in my hand?" Taka questioned. "To throw it away or something?"

' _I don't think so…'_ Kyoko thought to herself. Something tells her that this piece of paper is part of a letter.

" **Was that all he had in his hand?" Kyoko questioned.**

" **Yeah, that's it…" Makoto answered, holding the paper up. "Just a scrap of paper. Doesn't seem like much of a clue, does it?"**

" **I wonder about that…" Kyoko mused to herself. She then turned towards Hifumi. "Now, onto Hifumi's body."**

" **Did you find something?" Makoto inquired.**

" **I did." Kyoko confirmed. "More than I expected, to be honest. Look at this…"**

" **A… wad of paper?" Makoto asked in confusion.**

Kyoko's eyes lit up at this. Could that be connected to the ripped piece Taka was holding?

" **Hifumi had it hidden on him." Kyoko revealed.**

" **Hidden…?"**

" **He'd stuffed it in his pants." Kyoko stated. "So I can only assume he hid it on purpose, you see?"**

" **In his pants…? Wait," Makoto's eyes widen as he processed the implication. "So you-?!"**

Like Makoto, it took everyone a bit to process what they just heard. But when they did…

"Say what…?!" Hina exclaimed, wide eyes.

"It was stuffed in his pants…?" Leon questioned incredulously.

"And she dug through them?" Hiro added in horror.

"The fuck?!" Mondo cursed in disbelief

"Ew!" Sayaka exclaimed loudly.

"That is extremely inappropriate!" Taka stated loudly in distaste.

Makoto could only sigh before turning towards Kyoko. "Do you even hesitate with these kinds of things?"

"I don't see what the big deal is about." Kyoko said, not understanding why her classmates are reacting so badly.

Junko had to cover her mouth to hold back her amusement, while Mukuro also tilted her head, sharing the same confusion. Jill merely let out her mad laughter.

Hifumi could only look at the screen with a bright red face and feeling nauseous. It was a combination of the fact that it was embarrassing, it was his dead body, and that it wasn't his ideal princess digging through his pants. But there's no way in hell he will every let anyone know about that last one.

" **It was just his pants. Not like his socks or something…" Kyoko dismissed.**

' _ **I don't… know what you mean…'**_ **Makoto thought in befuddlement.**

Many of the students were also befuddled. "How would his socks be worse?" Celeste questioned.

"The sweat would have ruined the evidence." Was Kyoko's response. "It's better that he hid in a place that would gather less sweat."

Several could only give her blank looks. Sometimes, she can be as bad as Taka in obliviousness.

"I... I don't know about that one..." Leon whispered to himself in terror.

"Kyoko... for your own good, remind me to talk to you in the next break..." Sayaka whispered to her in pity, to which Kyoko can only return a confused look of her own.

" **Anyway, let's take a look at the paper." Kyoko held the paper towards Makoto. "Go ahead, Makoto. Open up."**

At this, Makoto turned a bit green, with several of his friends giving him sympathetic looks. ' _This better be important Hifumi!'_ The luckster screamed in his head, giving the fanfic creator a hard stare.

 **Hesitantly, Makoto grabbed the wad of paper, his face slightly green.** ' _ **It better be important, Hifumi, or I'll never forgive you for this!'**_ **The luckster thought as he opened up the paper.**

Present Hifumi sweated at the words, as well as the glare from the luckster. "It was future me!" He squeaked.

 **When he completely unfolded the paper, he looked at what was on there. "...A note?!" Quickly, the luckster read the content. "I found a hole maybe we can use to escape. Monokuma can't find out, so don't tell anyone else for now. Let's meet in the equipment room at the physics lab at 6 a.m."**

Hiro's eyes widen at this. "There it is! That's the note future me is talking about!" The fortune frantically stated.

The others were also surprised by this. "Huh. He's right." Leon agreed.

"So Hiro was telling the truth about that?" Sayaka asked.

" **That sounds… very familiar." Kyoko noted.**

" **That's it! It's the same thing Hiro said!" Makoto gasped in realization. "Then he was telling the truth!"**

"Yes!" Hiro exclaimed, relief evident in his tone. "Finally, proof that I didn't do it!"

"Hold on." Byakuya interrupted, repeating the words in his mind. "I don't think that's the note Hiro was talking about."

"Huh?" The fortune teller turned towards Byakuya in confusion. "Why not?"

"There's a couple of differences in the note," Kyoko pointed out. "And what your future self said."

"You mean the time and place, right?" Makoto deduced. "Cause I think Hiro said that the note asked to meet in the rec room at 1 a.m., not the equipment room in the physic lab."

Kyoko nodded. "Exactly."

" **Although… it's not exactly the same, is it?" Kyoko pointed out.**

 **That caused Makoto to read the note once more. "The time is different…" The luckster saw. "Hiro told us that his note said to meet at 1 a.m. But the note they wrote to Hifumi asked him to meet at 6 a.m."**

"So, was Hiro lying about the note?" Hina questioned.

"I wouldn't say that." Kyoko rebuked. "After all, his words are nearly identical to what the note said. The only difference was the place and time."

"Does that mean Hiro and Hifumi received similar notes from someone?" Chihiro inquired.

Kyoko was about to answer before closing it. There's something more fundamental that should be considered first.

" **Hold on." Kyoko spoke up. "Just because Hifumi had the note, doesn't mean it was meant for him."**

" **Huh…?"**

Similar thoughts entered the students' head. "But it was in the dude's pants." Leon pointed out. "How could it not be from him?"

"Yeah, cause if Huffy is the one to have it, it must've been given to Huffy!" Jill added in.

"Just think about it." Kyoko told them. "The answer is there for you to see."

" **Part of it has been torn off, right?" The lavender haired girl pointed at the torn off part. "I think there's likely some meaning there."**

' _ **There's some meaning to part of it being ripped…?'**_ **Makoto thought in slight confusion, looking at the torn part.**

Makoto thought about it for a moment before an answer came to his mind. ' _Hifumi got the note from Taka's body.'_ The luckster realized. ' _Must've done so after he was killed, to erase any sort of evidence of the note.'_

Mukuro and Chihiro were also making the same realization. ' _Did… Hifumi take the note from Taka?'_ The programmer frowned at this. ' _But that doesn't make any sense. If Hifumi saw Taka's corpse, he would've mentioned it at some point. Unless…'_ When another realization hit him, he covered his mouth in horror. ' _Was he… was he involved in the murders?'_

' _That would explain much.'_ Mukuro mused to herself. ' _Not only the mystery of the note, but also the making of the robo justice suit and hammers.'_ And when Hifumi was deemed useless, he was eliminated.

 **Before anything else could be said, the bell rung. A moment later, the monitor above them turned on. "Are you excited? Are you pumped?! It's time for the class trial to begin!" Monokuma announced. "Like the bright burst of fireworks, like the flash of a soul clashing with life and death! And so, without further ado… everyone please meet at the usual spot! Make your way to the red door on the first floor of the school!"**

 **The bear then let out his signature laugh. "See you soon!" And with that, the monitor switched off.**

Tension rose back with the group. Despite some think they know who the killer is, and their feelings within them, none of them are looking forward to the trial.

Hiro had his eyes closed and his fingers crossed tightly. Please, oh please, let his innocence be proven! He doesn't want to see himself die!

 **Kyoko sighed as Hina and Sakura slowly left the room. "It's unfortunate, but I suppose this is where our investigation comes to an end." She said. "You'll have to figure out the rest for yourself, and come to the proper conclusion."**

Makoto again silently thought to himself: 'W _hy me?'_

" **Yeah… you're right…" Makoto reluctantly agreed, looking nervous.**

"It shouldn't be too difficult." Byakuya spoke. "While Hina and Celeste seems adamant that Hiro is the killer, Makoto and I have enough sense to disprove their conclusion."

"I fail to see what other conclusions could there be." Celeste stated, once again ignoring the empty feeling in her stomach. "No matter how many dots we connect, it will connect to Hiro."

"Shall we bet on that?" The heir said in retort.

"With you? A waste of time." Celeste fired back.

 **Kyoko then faced towards the door. "Well, we better get going."**

" **O-Okay…" With that, the luckster and the mystery girl walked out of the repository.**

 **The next scene switched to the entrance of the trial room, where everyone was gathered. And as soon as they were all gathered, Monokuma, or rather two Monokumas, appeared. "Hello! (Hello…! Hello…)"**

That took a few people off guard. "He multiplied?!" Leon exclaimed surprisingly.

"But why?" Mukuro asked, perplex. "What's the purpose for it?"

"Most likely, it's one of the bear's so-called jokes." Byakuya sighed.

" **He's multiplied?!" Makoto exclaimed in shock.**

" **Nope, not multiplication!" Monokuma corrected. "It just looks that way cuz of an illuu~~usion! I'm moving so fast it only LOOKS like I've multiplied!"**

"And it seems I was correct." Byakuya shook his head in exasperation. "For someone so eager for these trials, he likes to waste time."

"I agree. We need to start the trial already." Kyoko stated, crossing her arms, disappointed at the bear.

Junko mentally pouted in her depress persona. ' _Geez, tough crowd…'_

 **The fast moving bear let out a snicker. "Can you guys tell… which one is the real Monokuma?!"**

" **Can we just get on the elevator already?" Kyoko sighed with slight impatience.**

" **You're not playing along! (Along…! Along…)" Monokuma exclaimed in disappointment.**

" **We're not here to play with you!" Byakuya stated, annoyance clear in his voice.**

" **Okay, okay fine!" Almost instantly, a Monokuma faded once the monochrome bear stopped. "Then if everyone's here and ready to go, please board the pain train! Er… elevator. I'll see you guys down there!" With that, the bear disappeared.**

" **Okay then, shall we?" Byakuya rhetorically asked.**

" **H-Hold on!" Hiro pleaded. "I'm not mentally prepared yet…!"**

" **You'll NEVER be mentally prepared!" Hina retorted. "You can't run away anymore, Hiro. You're gonna pay for your sins…"**

"Yeah…" Mondo stated in agreement, anger still clear in his tone. "Once this trial is up and running, you're gonna pay for killing bro…"

"Don't just decide that I did it!" Hiro cried in anxiety and slight frustration. "There could be a contradiction somewhere in the evidence gathered against me!"

"We shall see in the trial." Sakura said. If Sakura had to pick a side, she would have to say she was neutral on this. While there appears to be evidence to suspect Hiro, Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya seem to think otherwise. And the last two trials taught her not to take everything in face value.

" **I told you already, I didn't do it! For SERIOUS!" Hiro denied once more.**

" **That reminds me… did you ever find the other costume?" Celeste inquired. "Or the note?"**

" **Um, well… no," Hiro admitted reluctantly. "But-"**

" **How unfortunate." Celeste said, sounding not sympathetic at all. "Then it would seem we have our culprit." Hiro let out a loud groan of anxiety.**

Hiro also let out his own groan, filled with fear and a bit of frustration. "Why are you guys so adamant that's it me? What did I do wrong?!"

"You're kidding, right?" Sayaka asked in angry disbelief. "You've shown that you're greedy and cowardly, Hiro! You con and run away with people's money with your fortunes! Instead of using your own money, you asked Makoto to donate his organs or identity to you for the black market!"

"And when he refused, you tried to go through with the deal anyway!" Hina voiced her own displeasure. "And with all the evidence against you… it's clear that it have to be you!"

"Come on, Zero!" Jill cheered, raising a scissor like it's a glass. "Accept your fate, and let yourself embrace the murder club, where killing intent if freely accepted!"

"But I don't want to join that kind of club!" Hiro cried, holding his head in terror. "It sounds terrifying!"

Once again, Makoto grimaced at the onslaught against Hiro. While it's true, Hiro is probably one of the most selfish and greedy person he ever come across, he still felt that the fortune teller didn't deserve the attacks on him. But unfortunately, he didn't really do himself any favors during this watching, both the present and future Hiro.

Hopefully, with all the evidence they gathered, they won't end up making the wrong choice.

" **This isn't the place to talk about it." Kyoko interjected. "Save your accusations for when we get to the courtroom."**

" **She's right. Let's get down there first." Byakuya agreed. "Then the story can really begin…"**

" **Yeah, good idea." Makoto also voiced in agreement.**

"We should do the same. Or at least something similar." Kyoko told everyone. "Save our verdicts for when all the pieces come together."

"Don't be so committed to Hiro becoming the culprit." Byakuya added. "Like in any situation, there are different possibilities…"

"At least be civil about it." Makoto spoke up in a pleading tone. "No need for any hate-filled words."

Sayaka and Hina let out sighs, while Mondo gave a gruff growl. "We'll try, Makoto…" Sayaka promised.

' _ **That's right…'**_ **Makoto thought to himself.** ' _ **I have to… do it. I can't let whoever Hifumi and Taka get away with it… for everyone who's still alive… and for the two that lost their lives.'**_

 **Flashbacks of Hifumi's and Taka's body entered Makoto's mind.** ' _ **The one who killed Hifumi and Taka… the one who killed two of our friends…'**_ **Makoto looked at all the remaining students.** ' _ **The killer is… someone right here!'**_

Everyone grew tense once again at Makoto's monologue. Taka clenched his knees and gritted his teeth at the sight of his body, while Hifumi shook a little, looking terrified and sick. Celeste clenched her skirt tightly while Mondo felt his flame of anger rise more.

 **One by one, everyone entered into the elevator. Once they were all inside, the elevator door closed behind them and began moving.**

Makoto's heart clenched when he saw how spacious the elevator looks now. "So many of us have died…"

"Yeah…" Hina agreed sadly. "Sayaka, Mukuro, Leon, Chihiro… practically half the class is dead…"

"And yet you're eager for one more to die with them." Byakuya mentioned, drawing a flinch from not only Hina, but also Sayaka. Mondo merely looked away, angry that he's right.

"I-I just want to see Taka's and Hifumi's killer pay for their crime!" Hina protested, though her voice was small. "I don't want to see him die…"

"But that is how they're going to pay for their crime," The heir retorted. "With Monokuma in control, once we find and vote for the killer, that is how it'll end. With death."

"Byakuya, that's enough!" Sakura spoke firmly but softly, seeing the guilty and conflicted look on Hina's face. "There's no need to say more. Let just continue."

"Tch. As you say." Was Byakuya's response. ' _But my silence doesn't make it any less false.'_

 **When they arrived to the trial room once more, the door opened, revealing a, once again, redecorated room, the color scheme being a light and royal blue. Monokuma, on his usual seat, let out a giggle. "When I see all of you gathered together like this… I realize just how few of you there are left! Your school life is slowly reaching its climax!"**

"Kicking us while we're down huh." Leon muttered.

"There's only so few of us because of him!" Hina yelled in anger. "He's the one driving us to murder!"

' _Geez, take responsibility for once, will ya?'_ Junko thought in mocked annoyance. ' _All I'm doing is giving you nudges! You're the ones deciding to be murder happy!'_

" **Only cuz of you!" Hina growled.**

" **Why…?" Hiro moaned. "Why are you making us do such cruel things to each other?!"**

" **What what?!" The bear gasped. "Do you really hate me so much?! But I'm so cute!"**

"Like we fucking care!" Mondo growled angrily. "Not when you locked us up and play with us like god damn toys!"

"Save your anger for now. It's wasted talking." Byakuya told him. "Use it for when you eventually meet face to face with the mastermind."

" **Stop goofing around and begin the trial…!" Byakuya demanded.**

" **Don't rush me! Of course I'm gonna start!" Monokuma stated in irritation. "I would never be like, 'Stay tuned for the action-packed class trial after this commercial break!' I'd never hold out on you like that!" A moment passed after that statement before the bear spoke once more. "Okay, let's begin! Get to your assigned seats!"**

 **Narrator Makoto spoke up once again. "And so, the curtain opened once again…" Slowly, the remaining students went to their podium. "A deadly judgement… A deadly deception… A deadly betrayal…" The scene cut to Hina glare at the sweating Hiro.**

" **A deadly riddle, a deadly defense, a deadly faith…" Next was Byakuya's, Kyoko's, Sakura's, and Celeste's neutral faces, as well as Jill's usual happy look.**

" **A deadly…" Finally, Makoto's determine look was shown. "Class trial…!"**

Makoto looked at the entire group before him. From the looks of it, there seems to be two camps. The one that believes Hiro did; and the one that believes he's innocent.

Hina, Mondo, Sayaka, and Celeste appear to be firmly in that camp, whereas he, Kyoko, Byakuya, and Hiro himself are on the side of innocent. Junko appears to lean towards guilty while Chihiro, Mukuro, and Taka are leaning towards innocent. Everyone else is somewhat on the neutral aspect or indifferent like Jill.

Makoto's fidgeted nervously, an anxious frown on his face. He's not looking forward to his trial. What he dreaded isn't really the answer, as he pretty much figured it out… but the results of that answer.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter. So, now onto the main course of the deadly life. The class trial. By the way, what do you think of everyone's mindset going into the trial? The fact that the big three (Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya) already figured out much, if not all of it? That Hina, Mondo, and Sayaka are so adamant that Hiro did it? Celeste being in denial? Let me know all your thoughts on the comment section. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you all later.**


	60. Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 18

**Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. So, while Lucky was editing the last chapter (After finishing up with exams), I actually manage to finish another chapter during that time. It helps that I'm finally at the trial together, where you can put all the puzzle pieces together. So I expect this one to come out earlier than the recent chapters.**

 **By the way, someone asked who's my favorite character is on the previous chapter. And that reminds me, I have a poll set up on my profile, about your top 3 Danganronpa 1 characters. My favorites are Makoto, Hina, and Kyoko. What are yours? Vote on the poll, and if you like, tell me in your reviews, as well as your reasons why.**

 **So, in this chapter, it's the beginning of the third trial. The moment you've all been waiting for. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa.**

 **A Lucky Soldier: Greetings! This chapter, we're getting some relevant questions again so the question part will return for this chapter!**

 **Q: Who's your favourite character in the original danganronpa? (THH)**  
 **L: For me its definitely going to be Mukuro. Sure she wasn't too relevant to the main story, and Danganronpa 3 despair arc definitely did her dirty in terms of characterization, but I'll never forget how satisfying it was for me to finish SDR2 and read DR:IF. I could do a whole paragraph on why she's my favourite so I'll just leave it at that :)**  
 **S: Mine is Makoto. It's probably generic to have the main character as favorite, but I like kind characters that most (If not everyone) can get along with, as well as competent and intelligent characters. Makoto is a mixture of both, with some courage and charisma to go along with it. Runner ups are Kyoko and Hina.**

 **Q: Will you still be doing a 77th/etc watching?  
L: All I can really say is, it's a distant dream that may or may not happen depending on Spirit. You can say the intent to write it is there, but whether it'll actually happen or not, only time will tell.  
S: I won't say that it's definitely gonna happen, as plans may change, but it's in my plan on doing sequels (Hope Lucky will still be there to edit/beta read). There probably gonna be a break in between, however, in order to keep from burning out.**

Chapter 59: Watching Ch 3: NGL! STGH! Part 18

" **Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results." Monokuma explained on his throne. "If you can figure out 'whodunnit' then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one, then I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and the one that deceived everyone else will graduate! Now then, to begin with…"**

" **We already know who did it!" Hina interrupted angrily.**

" **Wuzzat…?" Was Monokuma's bewildered response.**

" **It was Hiro." Celeste stated simply. "He does not have an alibi for when the murders took place, and we found him in that suit."**

" **Don't try and deny it! You killed them!" Hina accused the fortune teller.**

"Damn." Junko whistled. "The two of you didn't waste time going after Hiro."

"Of course not!" Hina said in response. "We aren't gonna waste any time with this!"

"There's no point beating around the bush when it's obvious who the culprit is." Celeste said, agreeing with Hina.

"How is it obvious?!" The accused himself cried out. "I'm telling you, this is all a coincidence! Some sort of conspiracy against me!"

Makoto couldn't help but wince at this. This was worse than Sayaka's trial, when he was similarly backed against a corner. He could only hope that the charges against Hiro will be quickly turned over.

" **I didn't!" Said fortune teller denied the accusations anyway. "Someone knocked me out! I was asleep the whole time! I don't know anything about it!"**

" **Shut your murdering mouth, murderer!" Jill shouted at him.**

" **Who are YOU calling a murderer?!" Hiro retorted angrily.**

" **I am sorry to say Hiro, but we do have evidence…" Celeste told him, holding her e-Handbook to show the evidence. "Blueprints for the suit, parts we assume were used to build it, and all of it was found in your room. You have to admit, the evidence is quite compelling."**

 **She lowered her handbook and put it back in her pocket before facing Hiro once more. "It points to you as having created the suit and wearing it while committing crime after crime…"**

" **How many times do I have to tell you?!" Hiro exclaimed with mixed anxiousness and aggravation. "I… I…" The fortune teller held his head in frustration. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't KNOW!"**

Celeste clenched her fist. This is it. This is where Hiro will pay for his crime. "This trial won't be long." The gambler said confidently. "All the evidence is gathered, and is rather overwhelming."

"I wouldn't be so quick to think that." The heir rebutted. "After all, we have plenty of evidence to say otherwise."

"Oh?" The gambler raised an eyebrow at this. "And what would that be? All I saw was how Hiro was able to do all this."

"Yeah. There wasn't really anything that really proves Hiro's innocence." Hina agreed.

"Just continue watching, then." Was all Byakuya said, smirking confidently. "It's about to get real interesting."

' _ **Is Hiro really the killer?'**_ **Makoto asked himself.** ' _ **Before anything else, we have to make that clear!'**_

 **Once again, the non-stop debate started up, the bullets being gathered before being placed in the revolver. Celeste was the first to speak. "Everything we found in your room, the blueprints, the suit parts, they are all proof enough that you are the culprit."**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **Makoto thought fiercely. The bullet was shot as the luckster spoke up. "Are we sure Hiro really made those blueprints?"**

" **What do you mean…?" Celeste questioned.**

" **Well, take a look at this…" Makoto held up his note from Hiro. "It's the note Hiro wrote asking everyone to meet up the night before. The handwriting's obviously different, wouldn't you say? When you compare it to the blueprints…"**

" **...There's no way you could think the same person made both of them." Kyoko finished for Makoto.**

That caused the others to look at both the blueprints and the notes. "Yeah, they're right." Leon agreed. "Hiro's handwriting is much more neater than the blueprints."

Celeste subconsciously clenched her hands together. "It doesn't mean anything." The gambler stated. "Hiro could have made the point to disguise his hand-writing."

"I don't think so." Chihiro said, thinking about the blueprints and note. "There's too much of a difference to say that he did…"

"And if the fool was smart enough to disguise his handwriting, he would've been smart enough to place the blueprints and materials anywhere _but_ his room." Byakuya added.

"Not to mention, are you even sure that Hiro is capable of crafting such things?" Mukuro added.

"That is indeed a good point. Hiro's artistic skills were never that great to begin with." Taka agreed.

At this, a small bit of relief washed over Hiro. Finally! Evidence against him being the culprit. He doesn't even mind being called dumb for it.

" **Unless the person made it a point to disguise their handwriting…" Celeste retorted.**

" **No, the differences are larger than that, I think." Sakura pointed out.**

" **Come on, I'm not smart enough to think of trying to change my handwriting anyway!" Hiro readily admitted.**

"Well, that isn't something we can argue with." Junko remarked. Then in one swift unexplainable motion, she changed into her punk persona, pointing a finger at the fortune teller. "But different looking words ain't gonna get you out of shit! You're still number one on our fucking list of suspects!"

"I agree that the blueprints and note alone won't be enough." Kyoko conceded. "But it makes the possibility of Hiro being the killer slightly more questionable."

"And that's not the only thing to be noted." Byakuya added. "There's much more to unveil."

" **So Makoto, are you saying you don't think Hiro's the culprit?" Hina inquired.**

" **And he's not the only one. I think Hiro is innocent, as well." Byakuya spoke up.**

" **What…?" Makoto looked at Byakuya in surprise.**

"Then who the hell was it?!" Mondo asked fiercely. He's been silently listening on, and while he can't argue with the blueprints, he still thinks that Hiro is the culprit.

"Was there another suit, like Hiro said?" Sayaka inquired.

" **Then who was in that Robo Justice suit?!" Hina questioned. "Is it like Hiro said? Was there really someone running around in a second suit?"**

" **The suspicious individual hidden within the suit…" Byakuya then turned towards Makoto. "Go ahead, Makoto. Tell them who it was."**

' _ **...And of course he passes it off to me.'**_ **Makoto deadpanned in his mind.**

" **So? Who was in the Robo Justice suit?" Hina pressed.**

 **Makoto frowned in thought. "Other than Hiro… I can't think of anyone else it could have been." He answered. "Obviously he was in that particular suit, and we never found any kind of second suit…"**

" **Then there can be no doubt - Hiro is the prime suspect." Byakuya declared.**

"What the fu-? That doesn't make any fucking sense!" Mondo exclaimed in aggravation. "You just fucking said he wasn't the goddamn culprit!"

"It makes perfect sense." Byakuya retorted without missing a beat. "Hiro was the one in the costume, yet isn't the culprit for the murders! If you used that head of yours, you could've put two and two together."

"Are you calling me stupid, you-"

"So what you're saying is that the one wearing the Robo Justice doesn't have anything to do with the murders." Mukuro interrupted before a fight could break out. "More specifically, the one wearing the suit didn't murder Taka and Hifumi."

"Huh?!" Hina exclaimed in shock.

"Now that's a bold assumption!" Jill stated.

"Indeed! For a mere peasant to deduce such a thing is brave!" Junko exclaimed in her royal persona.

"And what makes you so sure of that?" Celeste asked, a bit biting.

The heir stared at the gambler for a moment before speaking. "I'm sure a explanation will be given soon."

" **That doesn't make any sense!" Hina exclaimed in frustration. "You JUST said Hiro didn't do it!"**

" **It makes perfect." Byakuya responded back immediately. "Hiro was the suspicious individual in the suit, but he's not the culprit."**

" **So what you're saying is…" Sakura trailed off.**

" **That's right. The culprit in this case has nothing to do with being in the Robo Justice suit." Byakuya declared.**

" **What?!" Hina exclaimed in shock.**

" **Now that's a bold assumption!" Jill stated.**

" **And what reason do you have to make such a statement?" Celeste asked sharply. "You do have a reason, yes?"**

" **Of course." Byakuya confirmed. "But before we get into that, there's something else we need to clarify first. So let's get that out of the way."**

" **Hey, stop trying to boss us around!" Hina protested.**

" **All things have a proper order." Was Byakuya's cold response.**

Hina scowled in annoyance at this. "I hate it when he does that!"

"I know. It's annoying." Sayaka agreed, a frown on her own face.

"But it's necessary." Byakuya rebuked their displeasure. "In order to understand everything, other aspects of the case must be cleared up first."

" **So, what is it? What needs to be clarified?" Sakura questioned.**

" **We must clarify the method of transportation for Taka's lifeless body." Byakuya answered. "It would seem that his corpse was moved using certain particular items. Makoto? Can you tell us what they were?"**

"What is he, your servant?" Leon remarked. "Why are you making him finish everything for you?"

"Because most of you would be able to accept the answers if it came from him." Byakuya answered. "As you know, my future self made no allies in the school. Using Makoto as a bridge is necessary to get a point across."

"I don't know how to feel about that…" Makoto said blankly.

 **Once again, Makoto thought about it for a moment. "They were… a dolly and a tarp, right?"**

" **...Tch." Byakuya voiced with obvious distaste.**

"Ok, what did he do now that got you annoyed?" Sakura asked, irritation clear in her voice.

"Some of you here can't put two and two together." Byakuya answered with a sigh. "He needs to explain how they're used."

' _ **What's with the attitude?'**_ **Makoto questioned to himself. Shaking it off, he continued speaking. "So, let's see if I can explain…" The luckster started off. "Taka's body disappeared from the equipment room, and then we rediscovered it in the repository, and when we found it the second time, it was wrapped in a blue tarp, right? It was the same tarp that up until then was stored in the equipment room."**

" **So the killer must have seen it there and decided to use it when they moved Taka's body." Makoto deduced. "That way, they wouldn't leave any bloodstains while they were moving it."**

" **Okay, that explains the tarp." Sakura accepted. "And the dolly?"**

" **Same thing…" Makoto answered. "I'm sure the dolly was in the equipment room when we first found Taka's body there. But when the body disappeared, so did the dolly. Later, when Taka's body reappeared in the repository, so did the dolly."**

"So the dolly was used to move my body from equipment room to the repository, with my body wrapped in the tarp." Taka summarized. "Is that right?"

"Yes." Makoto nodded. "It would explain how the culprit was able to move Taka's body so quickly."

" **In other words, you think they used the dolly to move the body, am I right?" Celeste summarized. "But are you sure you are not mistaken?"**

" **Huh…?" Was Makoto's response.**

" **Are you absolutely positive was in the equipment room when we found Taka's body?" Celeste pressed. "That dolly was made specifically for moving large objects between the repository and art room. It would be very strange to discover it had made its way to the equipment room. Is it not possible that it was in the repository all along, and you simply didn't realize it?"**

Mukuro narrowed her eyes at this. "I don't see the necessity of arguing this point further." The soldier told the gambler. "The killer could have just grabbed the dolly beforehand and left it in the equipment room. You seem to be very defensive about this detail though."

"I'm sure she wants to ensure that we are not leading to the wrong conclusion." Celeste answered easily, not letting her poker face waver. "After all, one mistake can lead to our death. Its just due diligence."

Mukuro narrowed her eyes a bit further, but said nothing else. It was clearly suspicious on why Celeste was so hung up on such a small detail, but Mukuro didn't have any further cards to play.

" **She's raised an objection. How do you respond?" Byakuya spoke up.**

" **There is no shame in being wrong. Nobody expects much from you anyway." Celeste politely mocked. "We have all accepted the fact that you rarely understand what is going on around you."**

Her polite yet harsh words surprised everyone who weren't ready for it. "Oof!" Leon winced. "That is scary!"

"And it sounds so polite too!" Jill added, impressed.

"Why do you have to be so mean towards Makoto?" Sayaka asked, looking at Celeste. "It's not like his theory is strange or anything."

"I… don't know." Was all Celeste could say. She should be shocked about this, as she has no reason to be passive aggressive towards Makoto, but in all honesty, she wasn't.

' _ **Wow… I've never had anyone sound so nice while being so mean.'**_ **Makoto thought.** ' _ **But maybe I can change her mind…'**_

" **If you're asking for proof that the dolly moved, I have it right here…" The luckster held up his e-Handbook, which showed the wheels of the dolly. "When I found the dolly in the repository, one of the wheels had a bloodstain on it. There was a pool of blood in the equipment room with a tire mark in it that matched the dolly wheel's tread.**

" **The killer probably rolled the dolly through the blood on accident as they wheeled the body out of the room. And as the blood dried on the tire, they moved the body into the repository." Makoto then lowered his handbook after finishing his explanation. "So there's my proof that the dolly was used to move Taka's body!"**

" **Tch-!" Was all Celeste voiced in annoyance.**

' _ **Jeez, does Celeste really hate me that much…?'**_ **Makoto wondered.**

"I'm starting to think so." Sayaka remarked with a small scowl. "Seriously, why is future Celeste acting this way towards Makoto? Did she not want to be shown up or something?"

' _More like this little tidbit will help the trial move along things.'_ Byakuya thought to himself, staring at Celeste. ' _And our dear blackened wouldn't want that.'_

" **Well, anyway. That was just something we had to get out of the way." Byakuya brushed off. "Let's get back to the main subject…"**

" **Yeah! The subject of how Robo Justice didn't do it!" Hina agreed. "Cuz if it's not a killer robot, then… what kind of robot is it?!"**

" **I'm not sure that really matters…" Sakura stated.**

" **I'd be happy to explain why the occupant of the suit couldn't possibly be the killer." Byakuya declared. "If you look back on how the body was transported, it will become immediately obvious."**

Chihiro frowned in thought. "Are you talking about how the culprit used the dolly to move Taka's body?"

"Correct." Byakuya nodded.

"That's why you wanted to get the means of transportation out of the way." Sakura realized. "But how does this connect to the killer?"

"Cause the dolly doesn't have a handle." Makoto said, seeing where Byakuya was going. "That means you can't move it while standing up."

"Well, yeah," Hina accepted. "But you just have to bend over, right? If you do that, it's easier to grab the dolly and move it around."

"And that's why the occupant in the suit couldn't possibly move the body." Byakuya stated with confidence.

That did not help the students' confusion. "Huh?"

Byakuya could only sigh in disappointment. How bad were everyone's memories?

 **Once again, the non stop debate started once again, with Byakuya speaking first. "As we know, Taka was killed in the equipment room. And from there, the body was moved to the repository, correct?"**

" **Yeah, the culprit wrapped the body in a tarp, then loaded it onto the dolly and wheeled it off, right?" Hina continued.**

" **Now, keep in mind that the dolly doesn't have a handle." Byakuya pointed out.**

" **Well, yeah, but even without a handle…" Hina argued. "All you have to do is bend over."**

' _ **No, that's wrong!'**_ **The bullet was shot as Makoto spoke up. "You're absolutely right that you could push a dolly without a handle if you stoop down low." He agreed. "But if you were wearing that suit, do you think you could actually get into a position like that?"**

" **W-What do you mean…?" Hina inquired in confusion.**

"Oh! The suit was not designed to bend at the waist!" Hifumi said as the memory came up. "And you couldn't see in it either! Miss Asahina stated so earlier!"

"Oh yeah, I remember that too." Chihiro said in realization. "When you put that into consideration, it really is impossible for Robo Justice to move the dolly."

"Yeah… that makes sense…" Hina admitted, feeling sheepish for her future self.

" **Think back to what you said when we were all checking out the suit together. Remember?" Makoto advised. "When you were in that suit, not only can you not see your feet, but you can't even bend at the waist. Am I right about that?"**

" **Now that you mention it… yeah…" Hina admitted sheepishly.**

" **It seems it'd be awfully hard to push that doll if you couldn't even bend over…" Sakura mused.**

" **Well, what's to stop you from simply pushing the dolly with your feet?" Celeste suggested.**

" **When you can't even see your feet?" Makoto asked in retort. "You really think someone could kick the dolly all that way?"**

" **Yeah, it'd be totally impossible! Not that I can say for sure myself!" Jill agreed.**

" **On top of that, if you were wearing such a rigid, cumbersome suit, it's very unlikely you would have the dexterity to go about wrapping the body in a tarp."**

"Agreed." Mukuro nodded. "If you can't even bend at the waist, you wouldn't be able to wrap the body in a tarp."

"Why not just take the suit off and do all that?" Sayaka suggested.

Mukuro shook her head. "Again, it would take too long to do so. The group was only gone for a few minutes. It's a insufficient amount of time to take the suit off, move the body, and then put it back on."

"And we haven't even gotten to the fact that you can't take the thing off in the first place." Byakuya added.

" **Well I mean, isn't that just a matter of taking off the suit when you're ready to move the body?" Jill pointed out.**

" **I don't think taking off the suit was an option." Makoto disagreed. "If you remember, Hiro couldn't get out of the suit himself. There was a latch on the back of Hiro's suit that keeps him from doing so."**

" **That's true. It seems impossible to put the suit on or take it off without help." Sakura said in agreement.**

"With the latch on Hiro's suit, taking off the suit and putting it back on to move the body is out of the question." Kyoko stated.

"So… Hiro wasn't making it up when he said that he couldn't take if off?" Hina asked, eyes slightly wide.

"Of course future me wasn't making it up!" Hiro exclaimed. "Why would I be in that stupid costume in the first place if I can take it off?"

"Well once again, the fool spouts a rare line of intelligence." Byakuya remarked, ignoring the indignant squawk from Hiro. "Anyway, he's correct. If he could've taken it off, we wouldn't have been wearing it when we found out."

"Which means Hiro wasn't wearing the suit, he was trapped in it." Mukuro said.

"Shit…" Mondo gritted his teeth at this. This is getting frustrating. Now that Hiro is likely not the prime suspect, then who is?

" **Then… you really can't take it off by yourself?" Hina hesitantly asked. "Hiro wasn't just making it up?"**

" **O-Of course I wasn't making it up!" Hiro responded angrily.**

" **If he could have gotten it off by himself, I don't think he would have let us see him wearing it." Makoto pointed out. "Showing up in the suit was basically an invitation for everyone to suspect him."**

" **Y-Yeah, that's right!" Hiro quickly agreed.**

"Okay. The more I hear, the more convinced I am that Hiro isn't the culprit." Leon said. "Thinking about all that makes it seems impossible…"

"That's true…" Hina agreed, frowning. "So it's actually true that Hiro couldn't have done all this?"

"He couldn't have made the blueprints, couldn't have wrapped the body, couldn't have moved the body…" Byakuya listed off. "He most likely couldn't move around the school as quickly as he could."

"S-See?! It wasn't me after all!" Hiro cried out, relief laced in his tone. Finally, he's getting a break!

Celeste, however, didn't share that relief. She clenched her hands together tightly once again, this time gritting her teeth. Is it really true? Is Hiro really innocent in all this? But then, who else could it be? Who else could've possibly killed two people?

The nagging feeling in her heart grew stronger and stronger.

" **So… it's really, really, true that Robo Justice couldn't have moved the body…?" Hina asked once more.**

" **To be clear, whoever did move the body, it couldn't have been Hiro in the robot suit, correct?" Sakura clarified.**

" **No, wait just a second if you please." Celeste quicky spoke up. "Have you forgotten about the picture that I took?" Once again, Celeste showed them Hifumi's camera and the picture it holds. "You all got a good look at it, did you not? The image of Hifumi being dragged away by Robo Justice? If whoever was in the suit is not the culprit, how do you explain that?"**

 **The gambler placed the camera down. "Besides, do you remember what the now deceased Hifumi said…?" She added. "How Robo Justice was the one who attacked him? So long as those facts exist, the proper conclusion is beyond question. The individual inside the suit and the culprit are one and the same. It was Hiro, without a doubt."**

The more future Celeste spoke, the more some of students started leaning back towards the argument against Hiro. "Yeah… yeah, that's right!" Hina said, with more confidence. "I can't believe I forgot about those things!"

"With that evidence, the murderer is definitely Hiro!" Jill said in agreement.

Hearing these things caused Celeste herself to relax. "Yes. With those conclusions, we cannot doubt that is Hiro." The gambler said with a tone finality.

"Wait! H-Hold on!" Hiro spoke up in protest.

"Are you seriously forgetting the evidence supporting his innocence?" Byakuya reminded them, looking annoyed. "There's still the blueprints that are clearly not in his handwriting, and the fact that he can't push Taka's body in the repository, not while he's in that suit."

"Then perhaps he has an accomplice." Celeste shot back, frustration starting to seep out. "After all, Hiro isn't the only one without an alibi. Kyoko could've easily helped him with the blueprints, suit, and the wrapping of Taka's body."

"But what reason would she have to do so?" Mukuro pointed out. "Only the one that does the killing have the chance to leave the school. There's no benefit in assisting in a murder, and Kyoko being as suspicious as she is, has made fair contributions to previous trials as well as not showing any specific ill intent towards others. Hiro wouldn't have been able to trick her in helping."

"Well tell me, what other evidence is there?" Celeste asked with gritted teeth. "Cause so long as the picture and Hifumi's words are there, it is not possible for anything else to take place."

' _Celeste…'_ Makoto could stare at her with a mix of anguish and worry. The future Celeste is trying so hard to pin the crime on Hiro, while the present one is in deep denial about the case. He wonders, once they figured it out… how hard is the gambler going to take this?

"Let's stop arguing about this." Kyoko cut in, stopping the argument. "It's still too early to decide who did it, and pointing fingers is not gonna help anything. For now, we should continue watching how this case unfolds."

"Fine. As you wish." Celeste conceded. "But I doubt anything will change the conclusion."

"I don't think so at all." Kyoko brushed off. "Remember what my future self said before? If we keep at it, something new will reveal itself."

"Besides, while it's true that the photo and Hifumi's words are still there, the same goes for the blueprints and flawed design of the suit." The detective reminded her. "So it is probably best to discuss this more."

Celeste clenched her teeth tighter at this, though kept it hidden. Why? Why are they trying so hard to defend Hiro? What's the point, when the evidence is clearly presented?

" **Yeah…! Yeah, that's gotta be right!" Hina said with renewed confidence.**

" **H-Hold on a second!" Hiro protested.**

" **It's still far too early to reach that conclusion." Kyoko finally spoke up. "Besides, there's no hurry to decide who did it. Before we rush to a verdict, shouldn't we explore every single possibility? Instead of seizing on one viewpoint, the truth is uncovered by analyzing things from every angle."**

As they heard this, both Hina and Mondo couldn't help but feel conflicted and confused about all of this.

The former bit her lip, a frown on her face. What should she think? Who's right? On one hand, with the evidence against Hiro and how the guy is, it seems obvious that Hiro did it… but on the other, Makoto, Byakuya, and Kyoko have shown that they know what they're doing. They're probably the smartest of the bunch. So what's right? And what's wrong?

Mondo, meanwhile, scowled and let out a hiss of frustration. Why does this have to be so complicated? There's evidence to say that Hiro did it, but there was evidence that says he didn't. Who the fuck was right? And who the fuck was wrong? He better get a straight answer soon, dammit!

" **Perhaps, but where do we go from here?" Sakura inquired.**

" **Let's review this series of unfortunate events from the beginning." Kyoko suggested. "Maybe we'll uncover something new…"**

" **Pfhah! What a pain in the ass!" Jill complained.**

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Jill…" Leon sighed. "Seriously, this is confusing enough as it is. Now they need to recall all the confusing shit that had happened?"

"While it is confusing to think about, their lives are on the line." Chihiro reminded him. "They have to do everything they can to make sure to get the answer right."

"You have to understand the problem first before you can solve it." Sakura agreed.

" **I don't disagree, but our lives are on the line. If this is what it takes, we have to do it." Sakura sighed.**

" **Plus, maybe we'll get to find out where the heck Kyoko was when everything went down…" Hina added.**

Byakuya snorted. "Doubtful."

"I can't disagree with that." Makoto admitted. If Kyoko wasn't going to reveal it before, she won't do so now.

" **All right, let's take another another look back at what happened. I suppose we could start with this morning…" With that, Sakura began recalling what had happened. "The four of us gathered in the dining hall - Makoto, Hina, Kyoko, and myself. We waited there for quite a while, but nobody else showed up. So we went looking for everyone. That was around 8 a.m."**

" **And as soon as we split up, Kyoko went missing." Hina added.**

" **Soon after that, Hina found Celeste in the rec room, and quickly came to get Makoto and me." Sakura continued.**

" **It seems I was unconscious for about an hour after I was attacked by my mysterious assailant." Celeste spoke up. "I know it was an hour because I remember being attacked a little after 7."**

 **A flashback of the image being shown for the first time was played. "That was when we saw Celeste's picture and discovered that her assailant had been wearing a costume." Sakura stated. "As it turns out, it was Robo Justice. It also soon became clear that this same Robo Justice had abducted Hifumi."**

 **The TV went back to the trial room. "We were soon joined in our search by Byakuya and Toko, and then went on to find Hifumi in the library. He was injured, so we took him to the nurse's office and resumed our search for the suspect. But not long after leaving the nurse's office…" A flashback of the beginning chase for Robo Justice started playing. "Celeste spotted a shadow of Robo Justice." The flashback ended right after.**

" **When Celeste told us that, we decided to split up and search the 2nd floor." Makoto continued. "And soon after that…"**

" **I saw someone moving around on the 3rd floor, and I yelled out to everyone as soon as I did." Celeste informed them.**

Kyoko and Byakuya narrowed their eyes as they listened to narration, while Makoto frowned. All three of them realized something about the entire thing. And that's the fact that only Celeste actually saw Robo Justice, and lead the group to where it was supposedly at.

' _She was stringing us along the entire time.'_ Byakuya thought. ' _Making us think that these murders were happening during the chase.'_

' _The costumes, the hammers, leading everyone along to where she wants…'_ Kyoko mused. ' _She had them thinking that Robo Justice was running around the building.'_

' _And now that I'm thinking about… didn't Celeste bring Hina out of the nurse's office and to a bathroom for a few minutes?'_ Makoto remembered. ' _The perfect opportunity for Hifumi to leave and get to Taka's body.'_

The more the three watched, the more they understood how everything played out the way it did. Not to mention more convinced that Celeste is the killer, the orchestrator of the entire crime.

" **And then…" Makoto spoke up once more. A flashback of Hifumi screaming then played. "We heard Hifumi scream. At that point we decided to divide into two groups. Celeste, Hina, and I went back to the nurse's office while Byakuya, Sakura, and Toko chased after the suspect."**

 **Another flashback was shown, this time being Hifumi dead at the nurse's office. "When we got back to the nurse's office, we found Hifumi… dead. And that's when we heard the body discovery announcement."**

Mukuro narrowed her eyes at the picture. Now that she's getting a second look, she can confirm to herself that there's far too much blood for one person to bleed out from the head. And more than that… the state of the body looked different from when he was in the nurse's office.

 **The flashback then ended as Makoto continued. "I left Celeste and Hina there and headed back to the 3rd floor, to let the others know what had happened."**

 **A flashback of Taka's body in the equipment room was shown. "Meanwhile, we had just discovered Taka's body, in the equipment room." Sakura spoke. "We must have found both bodies at almost exactly the same time, because we heard the same announcement not long after we'd discovered his body."**

 **Once again, the flashback ended. "And that's when I told you guys about Hifumi." Makoto stated. "Then the three of us headed for the nurse's office. But right after we left the physic lab, we ran into Celeste, who'd arrived after us, and she told us something very surprising. That Hifumi's body disappeared." A flashback of Hifumi's body going missing was shown. "We rushed back to the nurse's office and saw that she was right."**

" **Then we remembered we'd left Toko passed out in the equipment room, so we hurried back again." As Sakura spoke, a flashback of Taka's body going missing was played. "But when we got there, we discovered that now Taka's body has also gone missing. Next thing we knew, we were searching the school for two missing dead bodies. And after some time…"**

" **Celeste informed us that she'd found the bodies, and we all headed to the repository…" As Byakuya spoke, a flashback of the two bodies was shown. "Which is where we rediscovered the corpses."**

 **The flashback ended once again. "I think that about covers it." Makoto concluded.**

Leon groaned, holding his head. "Just hearing the whole thing make my head hurts."

"Indeed. There are many mysteries around this case." Sakura agreed as she turned towards Kyoko. "So, do you think that's enough for your future self to figure things out?"

"Plenty." Kyoko said with confidence.

" **I see… the whole thing sounds exceptionally complicated." Kyoko stated. "It certainly seems to me that these are not a simple series of connected events."**

" **Okay, well… if that's true, then what?" Makoto inquired.**

" **Rather than a single series of events, I think we have to consider each murder a separate situation." Kyoko concluded. "And from there, we can uncover the contradictions surrounding all of them."**

"So in other words, break everything into separate pieces for us to solve, right?" Makoto summed up. He smiled. "That will definitely help everyone figure it out better."

"You think so, Makoto?" Hina asked, tilting her head. "I don't see how it could."

"Think about it. We're trying to figure out everything when we connected all the events." Makoto told her. "And that's not going anywhere. So instead, we put them into separate situations, and solve the mysteries of each of them. Doing so will help solve the smaller mysteries surrounding the case, so when we re-connect them, it would be more clear as to what happened."

Kyoko nodded, a small yet proud smile entering her face. "Exactly."

Hina thought about Makoto's word for a minute. "Ok, now I see what you mean." The swimmer looked at Makoto with slight amazement in her eyes. "You're really getting better at this Makoto."

That brought a blush and a bashful smile on the luckster's face. "You think so?"

"Yeah!" Hina confirmed with a rapid nod. "I'm willing to bet that you can match with Kyoko and Byakuya in brains!"

"I don't think I go that far." Makoto protested. "I'm sure those two are still leagues ahead of me."

' _I'm not sure about that.'_ Kyoko thought to herself, the smile still on her lip. She's willing to bet that with time and effort, Makoto could match her and Togami in an intellectual spar.

Or rather… instead of becoming better at this, Makoto is showing more and more of the intellect hidden inside him.

 **And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Gonna try to send the next one as soon as possible, but don't expect to be as fast as this one. Got my own exams to worry about now, as well as homework I need done. Make sure to vote on the polls, and tell me your votes in the reviews. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you guys later.**


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